A Second Chance
by Bl4ckSun
Summary: Sabine York, a student at the late Professor Xavier's school, accidentally frees Erik Lehnsherr from his bonds of age and the cure with her powers. A young Magneto is free to wreak havoc once again. Magneto/OC
1. Chapter 1

Please R/R! I'm publishing as I write the chapters, but they're always open for me to edit and adjust. No need to be rude, but constructive criticism is welcome! I know some people tend to hate OC pairings, but I also know some people love them. Also no need to forcefully tell me which one you are..

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><p>"You're not even a real mutant."<p>

Sabine blinked her luminous dark eyes a few times, hurt crossing over her delicate features. She looked to the others, Rogue, Kitty, Bobby, anybody to help her, but they just looked around and said nothing. The classroom was empty; Logan, the disgruntled and reluctant new professor for self-defense, had left the classroom before the class time had entirely ended.

The students had all reacted differently to the loss of their old and favorite professor. Some had turned their hurt inside and others, like James, began to lash at those around them. Sabine tried to remind herself of that as she felt anger rising with her pain.

"I am so," she argued weakly, her slender hands shaking. "P-Professor Xavier warned me not to use my powers, is all." Even to herself she sounded pathetic. Her voice trembled, as if she didn't believe herself.

"Right," laughed the boy, his conceited grin plastered over his stupid face. "You, dangerous. That's a laugh. What's your codename again? Spirit? You gonna haunt me?"

The others laughed, some reluctantly, some with genuine humor. Sabine's eyes seared with wetness against her will. She swore at herself, silently, and ran from them.

"Sabine?" called Storm, the new Headmaster, as the girl ran by her. But Sabine didn't stop; Storm was kind and intelligent, but she couldn't trust this new woman who ran Professor Xavier's school.

She closed the door, locked it, and curled onto her bed.

Why did he have to go and die on her?

Professor Charles Xavier had understood her like no one else. He had found her wandering the streets of Washington, completely alone with nothing to her name. Her name, Sabine York, that didn't even exist. He had sat down with her in a run-down coffee shop and bought her a sandwich as she cried on this strange man's shoulder.

But, in the same night, he told her why she couldn't use her powers anymore. He told her why she could never use them again, why they had lost her everything in the moment she had it all.

She sighed. She didn't used to be this kind of a mess, but he had been everything for her. He had been her rescuer, her mentor, and her confidant when she needed one. She was strong enough without him now, ready to leave his school in her last year, but everything seemed pointless without him. At twenty years old she was reduced to a shaky disaster again.

She couldn't face the combined spite and pity of her own classmates as they learned how to control their powers and she learned nothing. Professor Xavier had been the only one who could teach her safely.

She pulled her coat on, but didn't pack her bags. She didn't want to alert the staff that she was leaving, not when she planned on coming back. She just needed some time on her own.

Clouds smoldered over the school, and Sabine stuffed her hands stubbornly into her rain jacket. She didn't care about getting wet. She even threw back her hood in the cold air, as if to challenge the rumbling sky.

Rogue had once been Sabine's friend. They used to play pranks on the boys, to go out to cafes on the weekends together. But after Professor Xavier's death, Sabine found herself unable to talk with any of them. Storm had her files, and surely had seen them, but there was no intimacy in that. Professor Xavier had felt her joys and pains, and she had trusted him highly in her secret.

Now nobody mattered to her. Her friends couldn't understand, and if they knew they would surely resent her. Sabine's face streaked with tears as she walked slowly towards the park. Fat droplets of rain whizzed through the sky, soaking her dark hair. She carefully tugged the white hood of her jacket up again.

"What do I do?" she whispered hoarsely to the dark sky. A roll of thunder was the only response, and she released a shuddering sigh.

The park was empty. Swings hung silent in the spattering drops, and no bikers ventured through the street. The only company she had was the occasional passing car, and it was unfortunate company indeed; she got a nasty splash whenever one passed too close to her.

But, in the distance, someone sat alone. She could tell from his silver-white hair and his hunched back that he was very aged. He sat alone in the downpour.

She knew he could not be Professor Xavier. He moved his legs once in a while, and his head was rather thickly haired. But something about the way he sat, alone in the evening, despite the rain, made her feel as though he was waiting for her.

She walked towards the stranger. Sabine's pace quickened, and then faltered as she approached him. Would he think her odd, just walking up to him like this? But, then again, he was sitting alone in the rain. Surely he couldn't despise her company.

She walked politely up to the chair, where she saw now that he faced a chessboard. Walking around the board to the other side, she pointed to his opposite chair.

"May I sit?"

His eyes were cold as they surveyed her. Nothing about his presence was very inviting, but he inclined his head, almost against his will.

She pulled out the chair, and watched as he moved the chess pieces back slowly. Catching on, she pushed a white pawn forward, only once. He smiled.

"Not on the attack, eh?" he said quietly, his accent strange to her. He skipped a knight over the line of pawns, and waited for her.

"Not without some defense, no," she replied, moving another pawn forward once.

"The best defense is a strong offense," he recited boredly. He pushed a pawn forward two squares. "What's your name, girl?"

"Sabine York, and I'm not a _girl_. I'm older than I look." She frowned irritably as she skipped a knight up. "What's _your_ name, old, weird man?"

He laughed at that, for the first time. "It's Erik Lehnsherr. My apologies, weird young lady." He slid a pawn out, poised cleverly close to her knight; just enough to threaten her to move him back.

"I'm not weird, Mr. Lehnsherr. You're the one sitting by yourself in the rain." She ignored the threat and moved her queen forward to back up the knight.

"I can't argue that," he admitted, taking the knight anyways. She sighed and took his pawn. "Tell me, where are you from?"

"I…I'm from Washington," she lied only a little. Washington had never been her home, but she had been born there and had lived there for part of her life. "I'm here for school."

His eyes grew very focused then. She was shocked at the intensity of his gaze all of a sudden. But then it died, and he took her queen with an unsuspecting, distant bishop. Sabine muttered a curse and took his other bishop with little satisfaction.

"Where do you go to school?" he asked her, very casually. She gaped a few times, unable to remember the names of any schools nearby, and abashedly shut her mouth. She was silent as he scooted out a castle.

She was still silent, as she defended her pawns with her own castles. The only sound for a long time was the sad falling of the raindrops.

Sabine battled long and hard, trying to force her pawns across the board to recover her queen, but to no avail. The old man took them down with the ease of a master player, trapping her again and again. Finally, she lost her king in an inglorious, shameful defeat, his castles and knights claiming the chessboard.

Sighing, she blinked in the now heavily pouring rain. Something about the rain felt so cleansing; or perhaps it was playing chess with a lonely old man.

"Thanks, mister," she said quietly, standing. They hadn't spoken much, and she learned nothing about this man, and he nothing of her, and yet she felt a little better. He hadn't judged or teased or feared her, and that made a lot of difference. He didn't thank her back, but he nodded and smiled a little bit.

She walked back towards the school, her hands in her pockets again. It had to be close to midnight, but she wasn't in a rush.

James seemed apologetic when he saw her at breakfast. It seemed that Marie, Rogue, had confronted him afterwards, because the girl had approached her again despite her distanced behavior and put an arm around her shoulders before class.

Everything was alright again, but something was still missing.

After Economics with Professor Storm, Sabine picked up her books and tucked them into her bag, among a few other things. She waved goodbye to Marie and Bobby and started towards the park again. She didn't know why, but this old man shared some trait with her lost friend, and she wanted to feel that connection again.

There he was again, at the very same chess table. His hand hovered above it, as though he was poised over a ruthless attack. Several old men sat playing around him, but none seemed to show interest in him. Sabine adjusted the strap on her shoulder and pressed onward. At the sound of her insistent galoshes, his head turned slightly, but he did not acknowledge her until she stood across from him. Only then did he look up at her, his expression wary.

"Play me again," she demanded, pulling out the chair. A small smile crossed his wrinkled features, but he did not move.

"Not very polite today, I see," he pointed out, raising his eyebrows. She shrugged and reached into her bag for her offering.

"I brought you a muffin. Play me." She tossed a fresh blueberry muffin across the table to him. He caught it carefully and set it beside the chessboard. Pulling a corn muffin out for herself, she pushed a white pawn forward again, two paces today.

"Someone is feeling bold," he chuckled, finally moving forward to reset his own pieces. "I accept your muffin for now. But you'll have to do better than that next time." He mirrored her pawn with his own.

"Where are you from?" she asked him, trying to piece together a strategy while keeping an eye on his tricky bishops. "I can't recognize your accent."

"Germany, but I speak many languages," he told her. He studied the pieces carefully. "German, French, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Thai, a little Chinese and Korean and less Arabic. That's probably why you can't place the accent."

"Probably," allowed Sabine, trying to hide her awe. She could speak a little Russian, due to her old Russian grandmother, but very little if at all. She remembered her hatred for Spanish classes in primary schools and wished that she had paid more attention.

"Now, why do you appear to be following me?" he returned, rather bluntly in her opinion. She knocked down his bishop a little more bitterly than she had intended.

"It's not exactly following when you sit in the same place," she muttered, but it was only fair for him to ask, she supposed. "I just…I like playing chess with you." It wasn't a total lie; she hated being beaten so easily by him, and wanted to redeem herself. But the way his green-grey eyes focused on her told her that he knew she wasn't being entirely honest.

"You remind me of somebody," she admitted, shrugging a little. "Somebody I miss."

"Do I now?" he mused, staring intently at her. "And who might that be? Your grandfather, perhaps?" Sabine couldn't help but laugh.

"If my grandfather had been as scary as you, Mr. Lehnsherr, I'd never have visited him!" she giggled, pointing at the board. "It's your turn."

He examined the board for only a moment before moving a pawn forward to be sacrificed. Sabine was forced to accept the bait, before he could take down her queen again. As a result, she mourned the loss of her faithful castle.

"So, what was this man like? The one I remind you of?" he asked her pleasantly, still smug about his trap. Sabine scowled and began to set up one of her own. She had to sacrifice two pawns, but it was worth it; she finally took down his second precious bishop.

"Not very like you at all, I'm afraid to say," she sighed when her victory was swept from beneath her; she lost a castle due to careless planning. "Gentle, understanding, kind…"

"Your flattery is embarrassing me," he said dryly, catching one of her runaway pawns. She laughed a little, and managed to get one across by distracting him with walking pairs.

"You're both very tolerant, though," she sighed, recovering her castle. "And you seem wise, he was like that too. Smartest man I ever met."

"We're both old as cavemen," he guessed for her, but she shook her head.

"No, he died a while ago. Not so old anymore." The edges of her lips quivered, and he looked instantly apologetic.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, sitting forward a little. It didn't stop him from reclaiming her castle, but she smiled anyways. "It happens to the best of us, I'm afraid." The way he phrased that made her think about things Professor Xavier told her she should never consider, but she couldn't help it. Her secret burned her alive.

"Mr. Lehnsherr," she whispered, leaning forward. His face was very kind, very understanding. She was sure he would not reject her as others had before. "Can…can I ask you something?" A light shone deep in his eyes, though nothing in his expression had changed.

"Of course, my dear," he assured her quietly, folding his hands in front of him. She tried to gather her courage, but found it to have left her.

"Do you believe in fate?"

He stared at her for a long moment. "You choose very broad and debatable topic. I believe in fate. I believe fate is propelled by human choice, by trial and error. Checkmate, my dear."


	2. Chapter 2

At the end of Economics, Sabine packed her books slowly. She wanted to go back to the park, but couldn't decide when. Sarah from self-defense had promised to help her learn the new boxing techniques, the ones Logan had carelessly thrown at the class. Sabine couldn't yet land a good uppercut, but hoped that with Sarah's help she could pass.

"Miss York, may I have a word with you in my office?" Storm leaned against her desk, her dark eyes not revealing anything behind her words.

Sabine started, surprised and a little frightened. She knew that students were not allowed off campus during the school hours, and was a little nervous that she had been caught, but she also knew that the kids did it all the time. Marie and Bobby left for lunch almost every day.

"Yes, of course," she said hesitantly, following the older woman from the room. When they walked in, Sabine was surprised that she locked the door behind them. She was more surprised to see Logan standing in the corner, too. Storm sat at the desk and gestured to the chair.

"What's going on?" asked Sabine nervously, her gaze flickering between the two professors. Storm sighed and tapped the thick folder on the desk.

"We've noticed that you've been scarce around here," said Storm, folding her hands. Sabine relaxed a little. So they noticed she left once or twice; all of the students did. "I saw you leaving campus yesterday."

"I just needed a walk," said Sabine, shrugging. "I didn't do anything. I just walked, and talked with some people." She didn't want to tell them about her chess friend; the reasoning behind her decisions had been too personal for her to share with them yet. "And then I came back. It's no big deal, everybody does it."

Storm stared at her for a moment, sympathy in her eyes. Sabine ground her teeth a little; she hated to be pitied. But she waited patiently.

"But not everybody is a class 5 mutant." Storm opened the files. Sabine's nails dug a little into the chair, and she saw Logan push himself off of the wall. So, that was why he was there. Logan was probably the only person she'd ever met who could be immune to her power. But she couldn't know; she had never tried it on him, or anybody, for years.

"That doesn't mean anything," she said quietly, trying to be reasonable. "Professor Xavier said it meant nothing. I didn't _do_ anything."

"Professor Xavier was a better headmaster than I am," said Storm gently. "He was wiser and much more powerful. I'm sorry, I don't know yet what to do with you. You're very strong, and your power is so morally debatable that it's going to take some time for me to figure that out."

"So you're confining me," fumed Sabine, trying to control her fury. Logan was much nearer now, his hands clenching and unclenching. It was very brave of him to risk her losing control, when he didn't know if she could overpower him or not. "You're locking me in, even though I haven't done anything. I've never done anything! Not since I've been here!"

"But you have before," specified Storm, touching the folder gently. "And we're not confining you here. We just want you to have an escort for when you want to leave."

"Him," spat Sabine, cocking her head in Logan's direction. She saw him bristle at the cold acknowledgment, but all her attention was on the woman in front of her. "I see how it is. I'm too much for you to handle, so you put me on lockdown."

Sabine stood when Storm said nothing, and pushed the chair back in calmly. "I'm not leaving the school. I'm not going to hurt anybody. But you can't keep me here."

She walked calmly to the office's door, letting Logan escort her back to her room. She thanked him quietly before shutting and locking her door. He looked sorry, but also pretty determined. Sabine guessed that they had discussed it before calling her in.

She sighed and sat on her bed. Flipping listlessly through a book on business management, she finally tossed it across the room and opened her window. Living on the fourth floor meant a lovely view, but also a distinct lack of escape. It usually didn't matter, but she was sure that someone was keeping an eye on her room now.

"Sabine?" called a voice from outside of her room, knocking on her door. "Please, let me in!" It was Kitty. Sabine stood and clicked the bolt open, and the pretty girl rushed in. She looked curious and apologetic all at once. "I'm sorry, I heard what happened!"

"You did?" groaned Sabine, sitting back down on her bed. It was a small school, and news always got around so fast. Now everyone would know she wasn't supposed to leave, and they would probably turn her in if they knew why.

"That's awful, that they're not letting you leave!" gushed Kitty, patting her friend's hand. "I know I'd go nuts if I had to stay here all the time!"

"It's not that, it's just…just…" Sabine trailed off, staring at the sympathetic young girl. "I'm just sad because I didn't get the chance to tell my new friend goodbye. I just wanted to meet with him in the park, and now I can't even tell him I'm not allowed anymore." She left out the more alarming details of her story, like how her friend was quite old and not so much her friend as a reluctant chess partner. But it worked; Kitty looked sorrier than ever, and then suddenly quite devious.

"I mean, I could…you know," she whispered, her eyes sliding to the door and back. "Just for a little while. And then bring you back in, if it's only a short while!" She didn't want to get in trouble, clearly, but Kitty was a sympathetic creature if ever there was one.

"Please," murmured Sabine, smiling endearingly. Kitty gave her a mischievous look and held up a two fingers.

"Two hours! That's all! It's a twenty minute walk to the park, so that gives you an hour and twenty minutes, okay? Make sure you're back! I know for a fact that no one will be around, it's across class hours anyways, and I don't care about skipping if you don't."

"Thank you so much!" Sabine hugged Kitty tightly, and felt them slip through three floors effortlessly. They landed catlike on the first floor, in an empty classroom. Sabine climbed out an open window.

"Don't forget! Two hours, and I'll be back in this room to let you in!" Sabine nodded and began to run.

There he was, as faithful as the rising sun, sitting at the chessboards. No wonder she could never beat him. She kept running, all the way up until she stopped in front of his startled face. He took one look at her crumpled, quivering face and gestured across from him.

"Tell me things," she sniffed, sitting down immediately and ignoring the chessboard. "Please. Tell me things you've never told anybody. Please." She kept careful track of her watch; by running she had successfully halved the time it took to get there.

He looked for a moment as though he might refuse, but then gave her a strange, probing look. He was silent for a few minutes.

"My mother, father, and sister were killed in the Warsaw Ghetto on World War II. I was, shortly afterwards, sent to Auschwitz, where I was kept and trained as a fighter because of my…talents. I was married, once. My wife died long ago. I know of whom you compare me to. Charles Xavier was my closest friend when I was young. We remained close, up until his death, in our own ways."

Sabine blinked a few times under the weight of his suffering. But he didn't seem concerned about his own stories. He waited patiently for her to speak. She swallowed a few times, her burden eased a little by his far greater ones.

"I go to Professor Xavier's school, it's my last year," she gulped, wiping away some tears as she told him everything. She told him about not being allowed to use her powers, about being kept out of everything, and about the isolation. Even with friends like Kitty and Marie, she was still so alone now. Nobody could understand.

"What is it, my dear, that they can't understand?" he asked her gently, with the wise patience of a man with all the time in the world. Sabine's shoulders shook with her burden.

"I can fix everything," she whispered brokenly, her eyes squeezing shut with the pressure of her own shame. "I can, but he told me not to. He told me it's not moral."

"What isn't?" he pushed, his eyes bright with interest. "Tell me." He was too eager, but she needed to tell somebody. She needed someone to hold her secret for her, and this man had been a friend of Professor Xavier.

"I…I can manipulate time," she murmured, barely audible with her hand over her mouth. "In small or medium-sized areas. Deteriorate wood, rocks, animals, people…and bring them back. It's not affecting just physical age, either, it takes away scars…things that happened between then and now. Sometimes memories, but that's rare."

He stared at her, something unbearably incredible in his gaze. He could hardly speak.

"…how?" he managed the single word. She blushed a little bit.

"My nickname is Spirit," she said shyly. "Spiritus, in Latin, is breath. It's however far my breath touches when I do it."

"And how, young lady, is that something to be ashamed of?" he said sharply, surprising her. She hiccupped a little, rubbing at her eyes.

"Professor Xavier said-"

"I knew Charles for a long time," said Erik Lehnsherr. "And if there was one thing he could not do, it was to allow his pupils to reach their greatest true potential. He was an intelligent and remarkable man, but that was something that he just could not do."

Sabine tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, confused and proud at the same time. "But, I used it before and all it did was tear my own family apart," she murmured, pulling at her hair. That had been her lesson, before she had met Charles Xavier.

"Yes, of course it did. Any strength untempered is bound to be out of control," he said, taking her responsibility. "But, as you surely know, strength trapped will rebel. You've seen it before."

Sabine did not want to be reminded of their old professor. She had liked Professor Grey very much, and had been disturbed to hear of what happened to her.

"What do I do?" she whispered, wringing her hands desperately. He reached out and took them in his own larger hands. "Do I bring Professor Xavier back? What if he's angry with me? Is it morally wrong? He's not here to _tell_ me what to do!"

"Show me," said Erik quietly, standing up. Sabine stepped back, but he still held her hands tightly. She shook her head, silently imploring that he let her go. "Do it. I have nothing. I have no family to know, nothing to hide this from, and nothing for me now."

"It's not _right_," gasped Sabine, shaking her head again. "He told me, and…and it doesn't help anybody! I promised I wouldn't…" But she couldn't tear her eyes from his steely gaze.

Almost without willing it, Sabine leaned forward and gently released a breath of cold, white air. It spread slowly, enveloping his aged face, moving down his neck as she continued a constant and steady stream of breath. He closed his eyes, as it moved down his shoulders, his chest, the rest of his body until he was coated in a thick, hard coat of marble-white material. It continued to harden until cracks showed in the plaster cast.

Sabine began to peel off the pieces, helping the cracking along. She couldn't believe she had done it again, but something about this man intrigued her. He seemed as though he did not belong in the park, where he sat and played chess because he had to.

The cast was in the exact form of his old body. She could see every wrinkle, every line of suffering and age and wear. She tore them out, starting at his arms so he could help her. Once he felt her breaking the cast apart, he began to twist his body in an effort to shatter the hard material. But she touched his arm and pulled off another piece, and he understood.

She worked up his shoulders, letting him free his legs blindly. Pulling the shards from his neck, she revealed the smooth, firm skin beneath. The wrinkled skin fell apart in her hands. She freed his neck, his jaw, which she found to be strong and aggressive. Blushing a little, she pulled the cast bits from his cheeks and ears, and he took a deep breath in when she freed his mouth. It was a young, handsome mouth, and curious, she continued to free his thick, dark hair.

Finally, gently, she peeled the white stuff from his eyes. He opened them slowly, his vision a little unfocused from the change, and she was greeted by the same cool green-grey eyes. She stared, a little breathlessly, at the man standing before her. His body breathed confidence and power, tall and lean as a jungle cat.

He looked at his hands wonderingly, pulled back the sleeves of his black sweater to examine the cords of muscle beneath smooth, strong skin. A smile moved across his features, a happy, handsome smile.

Sabine blinked away a tear or two, sharing in his joy. She had forgotten how she loved to watch the return of one so old to his youth, the freedom and bliss in their eyes. Erik was exactly that, as disbelieving and delighted as any she'd ever changed.

He turned, smooth and graceful in his newfound youth, and stretched out a hand before him. Sabine broke into a joyful laugh.

His fist clenched, and a car parked nearby was crushed into the size of a garbage can.

Sabine's laugh abruptly turned to a scream of horror, and her hands flew to cover her mouth in complete shock. She lost her breath; she couldn't believe what she had seen. Erik turned back to her, surprised at the sudden noise.

"You-you never told me-" she gasped, her eyes moving between him and the car. "You're a…and you-"

"Must have slipped my mind," he said easily, straightening his scarf. His expression was still easy and delighted, but there was a deadly intensity beneath his words that frightened her.

"You're…you're…" she stammered, trying not to cry. "You're _Magneto_! And you _lied_ to me! Everything you told me!" she panted, backing away hastily. He looked genuinely hurt at that, and stepped forward. But Sabine turned and began to run.

"Wait! Sabine!"

She ran hard, wondering if she had it in her to turn back and kill him. But her moral compass cowered at that; she detested murder in any form. She had to tell Storm, Logan, Marie, anybody. Somebody had to do something.

But a gentle pull at her waist told her that her belt buckle was indeed genuine brass. It pulled her to a stop, but infuriated, she deteriorated the leather as if it were paper. It crumbled from her waist and she ran.

The buckles on her bag were metal too, and when it began to restrict her, she deteriorated that too. She _dared_ him to rip her earrings out.

But the sudden presence of strong, gentle hands at her waist surprised her. He was easily within her range; one breath would put him straight back into old age. But he dared to approach her for some reason, and she couldn't find it in herself to make him age again. She had never done that to a living creature in her life.

"Sabine, listen to me," his voice rumbled in her ear, and she shivered with a sudden rush of attraction. "I didn't lie to you. I wasn't trying to trick you. I was afraid that when you knew who I was, you wouldn't come back. Can you blame a lonely old man for enjoying the company of a pretty, clever woman?"

"But, you're a monster," she cried out, pushing at his hands. He didn't let her go, instead pulling her tight against his long, hard body. She blushed, but didn't give in. She wouldn't be fooled by him.

"Am I?" he growled, turning her suddenly. She was much too close to his intense gaze. "Am I such a monster for standing up for mutants everywhere? For protecting the victims of a senseless government?" The fire died suddenly, though it continued to smolder in his eyes. He took a deep breath and his eyes roamed her face.

"Don't," she squeaked against her own will, pulling back. He released her, and she stumbled back a few steps. Breathless, she quivered all over with desire for him. She couldn't believe she had freed such a creature from his bonds. "Please, please go away. Please don't make me tell them!"

He stepped forward again, unthreatening, entirely at ease. Her whole body flexed in preparation at his approach. He touched her cheek lightly, his thumb tracing her chin and down her neck. She swallowed, her eyes tightly closed. She felt his breath light on her lips. If she opened her eyes, she was sure he would be centimeters away.

"I'm a collector of sorts," he said quietly, and she felt his voice more than heard it. The timbres burst against her lips; he was so close. "I collect magnificent things. And you, my dear, are indeed a magnificent thing."

And then he released her, and he was walking away.


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, usually I like for the chapters to encompass like 1-2 days at a time, but I've been writing this story a little differently...and so a decent amount of time passes through this chapter. It's kind of weird, but I don't feel like chopping it into two chapters, so, here's an oddly timed single chapter. Huzzah!

Also, Sabine is a character I made up, she does not belong to Marvel (to my knowledge), I haven't read all of the comics so I can't be SURE. Crazier stuff has happened, but she's as original as I could make her :)

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><p>Sabine took a deep breath, trembling. She checked her watch, and saw that she had less than five minutes to get back. Emitting a breathless scream, she began to sprint.<p>

"Cut it close, much?" grumbled Kitty, letting Sabine back through the window. They were safe, though; nobody had seen her leave, and no one saw her come back. Sabine laughed nervously, guilt and terror eating at her insides. She wondered how she could tell them, or if she should; but, if he revealed himself as Magneto reborn to youth and power, they would surely know it was her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice cracked. Kitty just shot her an irritably amused look as they walked back to their rooms.

"How was your visit?" asked Kitty quietly, winking. She had suspected it to be a young man and, well, she wasn't really wrong anymore. Sabine felt her breath squeezing in her lungs as she managed a shrug and a sheepish grin.

"Well, you know, this and that," she stumbled, getting back to her room. "Gotta go, not feeling well, I'll see you at breakfast!" With that, she shut the door and managed to get a few minutes by herself.

She sighed, shuddering a little. What had she done?

Pacing the room, Sabine wrung her hands. If she told, then she would certainly be expelled. She might even be arrested, for assisting a criminal or something like that. If she didn't, then she might get away with it, so long as Erik Lehnsherr stayed quiet. But what were the chances of that?

Well, she was unlikely to find out from him, now that she had stormed off and they had parted on less than pleasant terms. Sabine dropped her head in her hands, groaning.

"See, I've been thinking," came a loud voice from her windowsill, and Sabine nearly fell over in her fright. She gasped, staring at the man slung casually in her open window. The sky was darkening with the onslaught of evening behind him. He was playing with a small metallic ball, forming it and reforming it as he spoke.

"Wha-why? Why are you following me?" she gasped, staggering to her feet. He clenched the ball in his fist and turned to smile at her.

"Bad habit of mine. Although I suppose I owe you a few days of light stalking, to return the favor." He slid from her window, moving slowly towards her. "Anyways, I've been thinking about this newfound youth of mine. I've been thinking about the moves I've done wrong in my life, like letting my favorite talents escape me, turn against me. It seems that no matter how I fight the humans for our sake, it's always my own kind that betrays me."

"Erik, you can't!" burst Sabine in a hushed shout. His laugh was bright and pleasant.

"Erik, oh I like that!" he sighed, rolling the metal in his fingers. "Much better than Mr. Lehnsherr. I forgot how fun it is to be young." His eyes fell back to her, and she flushed hotly for whatever reason.

"They'll expel me if they find out," she pleaded, trying to bring him back to a cleaner train of thought. "Please, they might even arrest me! They can't know you're powerful again!" He snorted suddenly, shaking his head.

"Sabine, Sabine, why on earth would I reveal myself?" he said, to her incredible relief. She sighed, touching her forehead lightly. "The best part of this is how unsuspecting they are. Why would they fight me? They don't know who I am. Nobody does, except for you and me."

Something sounded odd about the way he said that, and Sabine looked up into his cool eyes.

"And therein does lay danger, I suppose…"

The ball suddenly stretched and twisted into a thin rope, and before she could run it was around her throat, wrapped snugly like a choker. Sabine's fingers scrabbled at its smooth surface, but metal was difficult for her to deteriorate, especially titanium. And her breath could not reach the metal at her neck.

"Are you a danger to me, dear Sabine?" he mused, his hand relaxed but poised to kill. He studied her face, nothing friendly or seductive in his cold features. He calculated her skill against his, her capacity to betray. "History tells me that if I don't kill you, then you will betray me. It wouldn't be the first time my own weakness has stabbed me in the back."

She tried to plead with her eyes, as the metal was tightening around her throat. But something in his expression changed, and the metal snapped from her neck back to his hand. She gasped, rubbing the light red marks, a little bit dizzy.

"God help me, but I cannot destroy such loveliness."

"Stop…doing that," she panted, mistrustful of him. She didn't dare attempt to get close enough to change him; his reflexes, she saw now, were much faster than hers. He could stop her breath before she could even consider attacking him.

"Stop doing what?" he asked her, honestly confused. She shook her head angrily.

"Stop saying that kind of stuff." Sabine, though she had lovely dark eyes and dark hair, had never been the point of attraction with friends like Marie. Her body was lean and fit, but with little curves to speak of. Few men had attempted at more than to sleep with her and leave her, deeming her unworthy of a chance.

"Sabine, I don't speak of appearance, though I must say there is nothing wrong with yours." He moved closer, and she felt her muscles draw tight. "I admire talent in all of its forms. Your power is what draws me."

Footsteps sounded outside of the door, and someone knocked. Her breath left her, but when she turned her visitor was gone.

"Sabine? Are you in there?" called a quiet, worried voice. Sabine rose and quickly unlocked the door. Storm stood there, her expression a variety of relief, apology, and humility. Sabine instantly felt terrible for how she had angered at the woman's attempts for some kind of control and order.

"Hello, Professor, please come in!" she said, backing up. The weary woman smiled and crossed the threshold, standing almost abashedly in the small, neat room.

"Sabine, I wanted to apologize for whatever hurt or offense you felt at our decision," said Storm, touching the younger girl's arm. "I wish there was an easier way, and I should have asked your opinion, or spoken with you, before I'd made a rule like that."

Sabine noticed that she wasn't recalling the rule, but to be fair she had now broken several rules, and so she closed her lips tightly and smiled.

"I understand entirely, Professor," said Sabine, bowing her head a little. "It took me a little time, but I understand your decision, and I do respect it." Storm looked surprised and pleased, and she smiled at the girl.

"Thank you for being so good about it," said Storm with some relief. "If you have questions, or any problems, or just want to talk, please feel free to come to my office, anytime you like."

Sabine's mouth opened a little, guilt gnawing at her, but her resolve wavered and she closed it, managing a smile. The new headmaster turned and left her room.

If Magneto wasn't going to reveal himself, then perhaps she didn't have to either. Perhaps she could trust that he would accept his second chance and do something else with his life; she had been surprised before!

She fell asleep a little more at ease than before, and woke up feeling well-rested and hungry. She wandered from her room, thinking about her class at ten and whether or not they would have cinnamon rolls in the breakfast hall.

The students crowded the halls, all migrating towards the food. Sabine joined them hungrily, her gaze wandering around the pack, seeking out her friends.

Suddenly her eyes met a cold gaze, equipped with a jaunty grin. Sabine's heart stopped and before she knew it she was pushing through the crowd.

She grabbed a sleeve of his handsome high-collar brown jacket and yanked him off to the side with more force than she'd expected. "_What are you doing here_? You can't be a student, you're what, thirty?"

"More like late twenties, I'd say," he said, miffed, pulling his sleeve from her shaking hand. "Besides, I'm not here to be a _student_, good god, woman. I can't stand these 'professors' in the least. No, I'm here for a slightly more prestigious position."

She stared at him, and he patted her cheek sadly. "I'm sorry, but we simply can't go on like this. Student-teacher relationships are explicitly forbidden."

"You're…a professor?" she squeaked, breathless. He shrugged.

"Well, not _yet_. I'm here for my interview, of course." He was walking away now, but Sabine pursued him, all thoughts on breakfast forgotten.

"You can't!" she let out a hushed cry, ever aware of the attention of the surrounding students on them. "If they know who you are…if they recognize you," she struggled to keep up with his long strides. But abruptly he stopped and turned, no longer friendly.

"Nobody will recognize me. Nobody will suspect me. And the things I told you in the park, I meant it when I said nobody knows. Not the school system, not the government, _nobody_. Charles Xavier knew, and he is of little consequence now. There are few people who would recognize me, and they have little chance of either seeing me or remembering. So don't try to stop me, Sabine, this is more important than your permanent records."

Seeing her shock and hurt at his harsh words, he sighed a little. Stepping forward, he touched her cheek gently. Her skin burst to flames, and she couldn't quite speak.

"I'm sorry. But nothing I do is purposeless." His green-grey eyes searched hers, and though students were funneling past them no one noticed their intimate proximity in the dark corner of the hall. "Although I _am_ sorry this can't go on." He leaned forward suddenly, and she felt the brief touch of his smile against her lips.

But then he was walking away from her again, and closing the door to the headmaster's office behind him. Sabine stood, shivering, in the hall, torn between bursting into Storm's office and trying to listen through the keyhole, but neither was a possibility. Telling Storm would mean her expulsion, and the door was sound-proof, she knew.

She turned, grabbed an apple, and sat at the nearest table. She would speak with him again before he left, to make sure nothing went wrong. She had to.

"Your credentials are quite impressive, Mr. Lehnsherr," said Storm, but she didn't look suspicious. Erik shrugged a little and laughed.

"Well, you don't really need to attend some big-name college to learn a few languages," he said easily, his hands folded in his lap. "I picked up several, with my godfather in the military. Mostly the basic European ones, French, German, Greek, and a decent bit of Latin, but I thought that might be good enough. It's always a good thing to be knowledgeable in aspects of language, especially in an internationally changing world such as this."

"Yes…and you are of course aware that this is a special school," said Storm, putting down his paperwork. He smiled charmingly, and she looked a little bit flustered.

"Of course," he assured her, his expression politely interested. "I've always supported the mutant society before, and I felt that at schools such as this, the presence of non-mutant faculty is essential to their development as accepted and well-rounded members of a community."

"A very astute observation," she allowed, smiling. "I feel the same way. Mr. Lehnsherr, welcome to the school."

Erik smiled and shook her hand warmly before turning to leave.

"Before I forget," she called after him, standing. "Here are your room keys, all faculty rooms are on the first floor. You'll get an envelope within the next few days with the details of your employment here."

He shook her hand warmly, accepting the keys. "I do look forward to it."

Sabine jumped to her feet as she saw him leave the room. She ran after him, though she was already late to class. Weaving through the crowd of students, she finally caught up to him and fell into step beside him. He didn't acknowledge her, but he did slow down a little until they were at the same pace.

"Well?" she asked impatiently, and he shrugged a little. Holding up one hand, he jingled the keys. She sighed, equal parts relieved and scared. "What now?"

"Come to my room tonight," he said suddenly, turning and squaring in front of her. Sabine's mouth opened and closed a few times, stunned at his blunt order. "Midnight. We'll talk then."

He turned and unlocked his room, shutting the door behind him.

Sabine walked in a daze to her next class. She could hardly listen to the old ethics professor, a new mutant who had replaced Professor Xavier. He was Professor Jay, an ancient man with the ability to see brief flashes of the future. Marie swore he had to be one of the first mutants ever.

But it made class interesting when he zoned into a vision for several minutes and they were free to talk and pass notes until he returned. His visions were usually pretty boring, from what they had learned of him. Nothing significant came of them; they were mostly personal and minor.

Finally, at the end of ethics, they were free to go to lunch. Sabine left with Sky, a cheerful new girl who could levitate, and they discussed whether or not Professor Jay might know if their shows got canceled. But, even as she laughed, she still couldn't escape the horrible sense of trepidation.

The man who would wait for her at midnight was not the same one she had once played chess with. She knew that they never were the same; no one is exactly as how they were when they were young. But she was surprised at his chaotic nature, the wildness of his character.

She had also been surprised at the unleashing of his sensuality. He used it like a weapon, drawing her ceaselessly to him again and again. Intelligent, powerful, seductive; he was an absolute nightmare. She couldn't leave him in this state.

"Sabine? Are you even listening?" Sky's brown eyes, nearly hidden behind thick glasses, blinked a few times over Sabine's shoulder. Her mouth opened a little, and her eyebrows raised. "Ooh, is that the new Professor?"

Sabine flinched, and didn't dare turn around. "Professor Lehnsherr? Probably…" Sky touched her hair, her glasses, and blushed. Sabine could have laughed if she wasn't so terrified. _Please, don't let anybody recognize him…_

"He's hot as _shit_!" burst Sky, giggling like a maniac. Sabine couldn't hold back a snort. "I mean, wow! He's not even old, he's what, twenty-five?" Sabine rolled her eyes, hoping he wouldn't hear that. He was already cocky enough about his new age.

"You're eighteen," she reminded Sky, spooning a bite of clam chowder. "That's still too old for you."

"You're twenty," pointed out Sky irritably, tearing her gaze back to Sabine. "Not too old for _you_, I suppose?" Sabine flushed a little and filled her mouth with chowder. It wasn't something she needed to think about.

"Here, let's go over the stuff for Logan's class. He'll kick our asses again if we don't get these blocks down."

The day passed in a blur. Sabine suffered through self-defense, dinner, and finally was sitting at her desk trying to study for the economics test coming up. She flipped through a few business applications, wondering where her graduation would take her.

The clock hands ticked on, and she found herself staring at the face of her impassive clock, unable to determine if she was wishing it forward or back. She tapped the desk with her pencil, wondering if she had it in her to go or not.

At ten, she decided she wasn't going to go. He had no more need of her, and so she should let him live his life on without her. He had a job, and didn't seem keen on revealing himself anyways.

At ten thirty, she decided to go. It was good to check up on her more unstable victims, and as a person Erik was incredibly unstable. She should make sure it hadn't been an entire mistake, and if it was, she should fix it.

At eleven she scolded herself. Nothing good happens after dark, and she couldn't deny her attraction to the uncontrollable man. She mustn't let that impede her rational thought.

At eleven fifty, she climbed into bed and closed her eyes.

At eleven fifty-five she was running down the stairs.

Sabine dawdled quietly outside of the door, pulling at her fingers in agonizing indecision. The thick dark door was tall and foreboding; her hand stretched to knock, and then fell away before it could. She hated to admit it, but he scared her; she had seen his casual acceptance of murder, she had seen how easily he had weighed her life.

Her hand rose and knocked lightly, once, on the door. Everything was silent, and for a moment she hoped that he was asleep.

"Come in."

Sabine opened the door and saw Erik Lehnsherr standing in front of a full-length mirror in a wifebeater and dark jeans. His eyes met with hers in the mirror and a shadow of a smile moved briefly across his features. "Good. I was afraid I'd have to come find you."

She didn't respond, closing the door quietly behind her. Its click seemed awfully loud in the quiet room. Looking around, she noticed that the room was still quite bare. A suitcase lay on the bed, and a few shirts hung in the open closet, but besides that it was almost entirely as though he'd just walked in. Sabine eyed the bottles sitting on his desk; they looked less than innocent.

"Sit, please." He was no longer looking at her, but walking to the bathroom. Wetting his hands, he ran them a few times through his dark hair. "I have a few questions I'd like to ask you."

"And I have some for you, too," she found herself saying quietly but clearly. He dried his hands on a towel and returned, unsmiling but calm.

"As I'd expected. But, age before beauty, love. How long do these effects last?" He sat beside her on his bed, hands folded. Sabine shook her head slowly.

"It's not a trick," she said firmly. She had used the same speech before, convincing others of the reality of her powers. "It's permanent, unless I change it again. You'll age normally from here, mid-twenties." He nodded, a small smile breaking out.

"Wonderful. Now, your question?" He waited patiently as she picked one from the many she had plaguing her thoughts.

"If you weren't trying to fool me, how come you didn't tell me you were a mutant?" she asked him, aiming for a more personal question. "And don't pull that lonely old man bullshit on me, you could play chess with other people, you know." His gaze was level, but she saw him grind his jaw briefly.

"I wasn't, at the time." His reply was curt, and she felt that he didn't want to divulge in it. "My turn. How do you feel about Miss Storm?" Sabine didn't understand his train of thoughts, but tried to humor him anyways. She thought for a moment.

"I mean, she's very kind," said Sabine slowly, a little confused. "I don't know her well, but she tries her best…" He nodded, as though every word was something of utmost value to him. "Why do you want to know?"

"I will tell you in good time, and I'm afraid you just used up a question. Now tell me, how do your powers affect death?" He looked terribly interested now, leaning towards her. She could read the hunger in his eyes very clearly, but she couldn't tell if he was hungry for knowledge or for her strength. Sabine shivered a little.

"I…Professor Xavier told me never to talk about that," she whispered, standing and moving away from him. He stood too, dismissing the thought with a flip of his hand.

"Just my curiosity," he said, stalking after her. She backed up, until she felt the press of the doorknob at her hip. "Charles and I had always been hot on the trail of information, and knowledge was something we'd valued more than anything else in the world."

Her hand reached back and twisted the knob, but the bolt snapped shut before she could open the door. Horrified, she looked up at Erik, who was now dangerously close; dangerous for him, anyways. One breath would bring him back to the chessboards, alone.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said quietly, and she heard the bolt slide back, releasing her. But she stayed frozen against the door, quite unable to move. Her breath was tight in her lungs. "I never hurt my friends."

"We're not friends," she tried to say forcefully, but it came out unsure even in her own ears. He laughed, a throaty, dark sound, and leaned forward, his hand touching her chin gently.

"No, I don't suppose we are," he said, his hooded eyes boring endlessly into hers. His face was close to hers, much too close, and though she leaned back, her body was flush against the door. She shut her eyes tightly, gasping a little. Her hand clenched tightly at the doorknob.

His teeth pulled playfully at her lower lip, the sensation at once gentle and sharp. She gasped, her eyes flying open, mere inches away from his cool gaze. Her skin flushed hot; everything about his posture was sexier than anything she'd encountered. His forearm rested on the wall beside her head, his body curved close to hers. His other hand was still holding her chin.

He didn't kiss her, he only bit gently at her lips. When he moved his mouth to her ear, she sucked in a quick breath. Her hand twisted the doorknob, but the door was held shut by her own weight.

"What do you want?" he whispered, his voice deep and sensual. Her hand ached to wind itself in his shirt, but she resisted with everything she had. "Do you want me?"

"I…I d-," she struggled to pull herself together enough to be coherent. But her belt buckle snapped open, the button to her jeans wiggled loose, her zipper pulled down. She gasped at the rough drag of her own clothes against her skin, at the barest hint of effort it took him. "I-I-"

His hand twisted into her hair, pulling her head back to expose her throat. Sabine gasped and tried to pull away, but couldn't dislodge him. His teeth bit into her shoulder and she cried out in pain, but he soothed her with feather-light kisses up her neck, until she was shivering with desire. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and breathed deeply in the scent of her hair. Sabine's hands had betrayed her; they were tangled in the white cotton of his shirt.

And then, just like that, he turned and walked away from her. Sabine stood, shaking all over, at the door. He walked to his desk and picked up a handle of rum, pouring it into a small glass cup. Downing the shot, he turned back to her. His sensual aura was gone; now he stood cold and calculative again.

"Come back when you know what you want, Sabine," he told her coolly, pouring another drink.

She recognized an exit line when she heard one. Humiliated but not entirely sure why, she smoothed her appearance and stormed from the room with more than one sense of dissatisfaction.

_"Sabine, you're going to have to take care of your brothers for me," whispered the supine man. He was tucked into a shabby blanket, his eyes filled with weariness and love. Sabine cried quietly as she tried to warm his hands in hers. "Don't be afraid."_

_"No, daddy, I can help you," she cried out brokenly, scooting closer. Her father raised a finger and pressed it against her lips. His dark eyes were stern, even as he approached death._

_"Don't, Sabine," he said hoarsely. "It's not right. I'm at peace now. I'll be with your mother soon." She wrapped her arms around him, the obedient daughter until the end. The apartment was quiet, and she knew her two young brothers were hiding in their room. A square of light filtered through the single cracked window, particles of dust swirling slowly in the beams._

_"I'm sorry I couldn't leave you with more," he said, his hands strong and sure on her back. "Stay together, all of you. You'll be taken to a foster home, but stay together. Family is all you have. My friend is coming to get you in the morning, be good."_

_"I love you, daddy," hiccupped Sabine, her small fingers clenched tight at his back. She would never forget his warm smell, the absolute safety she had felt in his arms._

_"I love you too, Sabine."_

Sabine woke to a silent morning. It was Saturday, and all of the students slept in. She sat up, touching her forehead gently. She tried to grasp the pieces of her dream, but all she could recover was her father's bearded, weary face.

Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on her knees as she stared at the gushing fountain not far from her room. It seemed so carefree and merry in her troubled mind, and she loved the sound of the running water.

"Sabine? Can I come in?" She looked up and saw James standing in her doorway, the door cracked open a little. Still hurting a little by his recently malicious behavior towards her, she snorted and turned away.

"Well, you're already in, so I guess you might as well." He walked in and pulled out her chair to sit. James McMavern had never been one for courtesies. "What do you want, James?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I feel bad for what I said to you, it wasn't right. I wanted to ask if you'd like to get lunch with me tomorrow."

Sabine still felt tender about the way he had made fun of her, but there was something honest in his clear blue eyes. "Well…okay, I guess." Sabine had never been able to hurt people, and even now she couldn't strike back at this boy who had mocked her not long ago.

He smiled charmingly and leaned forward to hug her. "Thanks for understanding, Sabine." Then he stood and left her.

Sabine stood and began to brush her teeth. She should probably try to grab some brunch, before the more active students ate everything. She pulled on a green sweater and dark jeans, to combat the onslaught of cool weather. Sniffing her hair, she decided it was a little too mangy to leave down; a loose bun would do before she could get back and shower.

The mess area was almost entirely deserted. Most of the students took advantage of their weekends to sleep in, and only the nocturnal or early-rising students had bothered coming to get something to eat.

"Miss York."

Jumping a little bit, Sabine turned to see Erik seated at a table alone, his eyes bright and handsome above his folded hands. He was surveying her with entirely inappropriate interest, and she immediately wished she had showered before coming down.

"Did you want me to get you another muffin, Erik?" she asked rather snappily, self-conscious about her rather underdressed self. He, of course, was looking remarkably trim in his black turtleneck and dress slacks. He even wore a damn belt…

"Sir," he said suddenly, and she frowned a little bit.

"What?" she slipped before she could think. He raised a long finger and shook it at her. There was a smile in his eyes, but none on his mouth.

"It's sir now, don't you remember? Or professor, if you'd prefer. I prefer sir, it sounds a little sexier to me," he mused aloud, and her jaw worked irritably. She bared her teeth at him in what could never have been a smile.

"Would you like a damn muffin, then, _sir_?" she snarled, dark eyes flashing. He laughed and stood, grabbing his brown jacket from the back of his chair. Slipping his arms into it, he buttoned it up to his throat.

"No thank you, but you can have a detention for such profanity. I'm afraid I don't tolerate cursing in my school," he chuckled, ignoring her black glare.

"It's not your school," she pointed out, and he shrugged as he walked right up to her. She shifted away uncomfortably, but he stepped closer.

"No, but it sounds awfully nice, doesn't it?" he said quietly, and then his voice grew quieter still. "Detention. My office. Nine o' clock, Miss York."


	4. Chapter 4

Yeah, I know the last chapters seem rushed...it's something I'm not very happy about but way too lazy to fix, so...sorry? hahaha well I'm trying to slow it down a little. I just so EXCITED! But this chapter is a little slower.

Also, some of you probably totally just think it's rushed because you're migrating from my significantly better-written story 'The Lion and the Wolf' hahaha YES I READ EVERY REVIEW! sometimes several times..._

I just...I really like reviews is all :)

and also Magneto lied to Storm about his parents. He couldn't tell her they were killed in WWII when he's supposed to be like 25-30.

* * *

><p>Sabine lay facedown on her bed, trying to suffocate herself in her pillow. No one suspected yet that their young new professor was in fact a war criminal of epic proportions, and she couldn't decide if that was a good or a bad thing.<p>

_Detention…another night with him_, thought Sabine, shuddering a little. She couldn't deny how much this man scared her. She dreaded the thought of walking into his office and doing whatever penance he felt necessary.

Somebody knocked at her door, probably Logan to make sure she was still there, but she just threw a book at it. It was locked, as was her right, but her minimal response seemed to be enough for the perpetually irritable new professor. He left her alone.

She watched the sun sink, tried not to think about her Economics test. She wondered how lunch the next day would go with James, whether or not he'd be nicer to her. The sun sank lower in the sky, and she was so tired from her more recent lack of sleep. Her eyelashes fluttered once or twice in the cool evening breeze, and the snugness of her blankets lured her quickly to sleep.

She couldn't have heard her own lock click open. Footsteps sounded softly against her floor, and she dozed away innocently in her own bed.

"Running a little late, Miss York?" came the soft voice, and Sabine jerked suddenly and unpleasantly into the waking world. She gasped, rolling away from the looming figure beside her bed. It was quite late; the glowing face of her clock told her it was nearly eleven.

"Holy shit!" she gasped in shock, still staring up at him. Then she blinked a few times and corrected herself. "My apologies. Holy shit, _sir_!" Her initial guilt and surprise had faded into anger. "What the fuck are you doing in my room in the middle of the night?"

"Reminding my student that she missed an appointment with me," he said dryly. "An appointment that is, apparently, more important than I had thought." Sabine sat up, pulling her hair back into a tangled ponytail.

"You broke into my _room_!" she snarled, standing and moving away from him. "I'm sorry! I fell asleep! You're supposed to yell at me about it _tomorrow_, not come into my room at night!" She didn't know where to go; she couldn't be chased from her own room, wearing only a long t-shirt, and she didn't want to be too close to Erik either. He stalked a little bit nearer, but seemed content to keep his distance.

"I'm sorry, I had thought we were friends," he said evenly. "I wanted to see you tonight."

"So you gave me detention?" ground Sabine through tightly clenched teeth. "We're not friends, I already told you! Why can't you behave?" Her voice turned imploring, but his expression was not serious enough to acknowledge it.

"You're the one skipping out on detention," he replied, stepping closer. "And we're not friends? Is it because I don't play chess with you anymore?" She gave him a threatening look, but he did not seem afraid of her. He moved even closer, and there was something dangerous in the look he returned to her.

"It's because you do creepy things like sneak into my room," she said angrily, backed against the wall again. But she didn't want another night like the one before. Her hands came up, and he paused inches from them. "Don't! I'll change you back, I don't care!" It wasn't entirely a lie; though it would bother her endlessly to use her powers again, it would be to return things to the way they had been.

But he chuckled darkly as his hands raised to fasten onto her wrists. Her breath gasped in, but before she could even think about using her powers, her tongue suddenly pressed to the top of her mouth.

"Yes, you see I never noticed your tongue piercing before tonight, Sabine," he said smoothly, and she was hit with the horrible realization. "It's because you haven't worn it around me before, of course. But for whatever reason you wore it today, and it's awfully convenient. I'd say it could be incredibly kinky, too, but we _are_ simply friends. Aren't we?"

Sabine couldn't speak, but she nodded in defeat. Without her power she was helpless, and she cursed herself for forgetting about his. But she'd been so worried that the piercing was filling in, and had unwittingly elected to risk wearing it that day, despite the fact that it was against the rules.

He slowly backed away to a safe distance before releasing the stainless steel stud in her mouth. She caught her breath, relieved that he had done nothing to her.

"Sabine, you see, I'd like us to be friends," he told her. "I like you. You've got character, or something. I'm very interested in unlocking your true potential, of course, and I'm still waiting to hear whether or not you're on my side."

He turned to leave, not very concerned with her lack of response. But, before he left, he threw her a bold wink.

"And leave the tongue ring in. Maybe we'll find a use for it later."

* * *

><p>"You really think we should start limiting the student applications like that?"<p>

Storm and the other professors stared at the young man, surprised at his proposal but also intrigued. They listened patiently to his argument.

"Well, the problem is that the building simply isn't large enough," said Erik Lehnsherr calmly, pulling out the papers he'd been working out. "We'd have to make another branch, and to be honest, the more money we take to make the school bigger, the less time we can keep it _running_. Charles Xavier left his fortune to the school; he made it open to all mutants, regardless of financial standing. And so, with the growing student body, we have to make a choice. Either we begin to charge the students, or we make the school smaller to stretch out the remaining funding."

"I agree," said Professor Jay, his brow furrowed. "Some of the less-threatening mutants can get along fine in the normal world, such as those with less dynamic talents. But then there are those who simply cannot adjust, for example Rogue, who needs to learn whether or not she can contain her power."

"But we don't discriminate here, I thought that was the point," said Logan hotly, remembering his first time in the school as a place of sanctuary.

"Logan's right, Professor Xavier funded this school as a place of acceptance and safety. We go against his beliefs by turning away _any_ mutant who wants to come here." The staff nodded for the most part; a few shook their heads.

"But we must be realistic," chipped in the quiet young mathematics professor. Erik didn't know what her powers were, but something about her pale eyes unnerved him a little bit. "Professor Lehnsherr is right in that we need to be careful where we throw the money. The better we take care of a few, potentially dangerous mutants than many already well-adjusted ones!

"We have to build a new dormitory," said Storm firmly, her dark eyes moving from face to face. Erik sat back impassively, listening to what she had to say. "We'll make do somehow, we'll ask for donations from the graduates or the students or the government…but we'll make do. I will never turn away a student who is hungry for knowledge."

"Bravo, Headmaster," called Erik boldly, clapping his hands together. Storm's eyes narrowed as she tried to tell if he was mocking her. "Very moving. Well, you've moved _me_. I'd like to take this moment to tell you that I've thought about this issue, and your argument has me convinced. I'm donating ten million dollars to this school, on the grounds that it is used to build new facilities and any spare money is used to prolong the life of this generous, beneficial school."

The staff stared at him for a full ten seconds in absolute silence. Then, laughter and applause broke out. Logan stepped forward to shake his hand, and Storm laughed and clapped him on the back.

"Where did you get ten million dollars?" she asked, aghast. He smiled and shrugged.

"Inheritance, mostly. My godfather left me a rather large fortune when he died." It wasn't true, of course. Erik still had millions saved in banks all over the world, under various names from his earlier conquests. This was a good chunk out of it, but in good time it would pay him back he knew.

"Thank you. It's very generous of you," Storm told him seriously, her dark eyes bright with humor. Erik had been the one to convince her to hold the meeting; she saw now that it was a ruse, to pull everyone together and tell them. It was a good one, too; everybody was in a cheerful mood, shaking hands and chuckling at the joke.

"Think nothing of it."

* * *

><p>Sabine waited for James by the fountain, wondering if he was standing her up. She sighed. It didn't really matter; she couldn't like him <em>less<em>. She didn't even know why she came anyways.

But there he was, walking towards her. She smiled a little and stood up. He was a good looking enough guy; tall and lanky, with soft brown curls and blue eyes. He was at the school because he could reflect and redirect energy impact. He'd been popular with boys like Bobby and Johnny, who enjoyed shooting ice and fire balls at him and watching them ricochet away.

She smiled as he walked up to her.

"Hey, ready to go?" he asked nicely, offering her his arm. Enjoying the sensation of courtesy, she accepted it. They walked towards the town together.

Sabine had remembered to ask Storm if it was alright; she was being careful not to do anything wrong, now that she'd gotten away with something horrendous. The headmaster hadn't suspected her of a thing. She had smiled and wished her luck on her date. With Sabine keeping her head down, Storm was more likely to be lenient on her own rule.

"Huh, I never knew you had a tongue piercing!" came James's voice through her thoughts. She started, and then managed a smile. "Aren't those against the rules?"

"I forgot I'd left it in," lied Sabine. She didn't know why she hadn't taken it out; it put her at a horrendous disadvantage to Erik's control over metal. But, at the same time, maybe he'd lay down his aggression if she came to him 'unarmed.' _Liar…you left it because he likes it_.

"So, Sabine, where are you from again?" he asked her, and, still thinking about Erik, she suddenly felt tired of games. She turned and faced James, her expression serious.

"James, why did you ask me out again?" she asked him, as blunt as she could possibly be. He gaped at her, but she didn't back down. She was really, really tired of being played with, and she wanted to make sure he was serious about whatever inclination made him ask her out.

"I…I just," he stammered, and she wondered if she had scared him. "I just wanted to know if you were good friends with Kitty Pryde! She's in my Thermodynamics course, and I think she seems really nice!"

Sabine huffed a breath as the truth came pouring out of James McMavern. Of course he liked Kitty. Everybody liked Kitty, the cute, quirky girl who loved popping out of walls and scaring people. Sabine shouldered her bag and turned, walking back towards the school.

"Wait! I'm sorry Sabine, I just…could you introduce me to her? Or mention me, or something?" he called after her, and she heard him running. Grinding her teeth, she turned angrily, but she couldn't yell at him. He looked so apologetic and desperate that it was almost funny, and Sabine didn't have it in her to be cruel.

"Yeah, sure James, I'll introduce you to her." The finality to her tone was obvious, but the idiot still called after her when she began to walk away again.

"You're not hungry? We can still get lunch!"

Not bothering to answer, Sabine walked quickly and angrily back to the school. She saw Marie sitting by the fountain and slowed, stopping to drop her bag and sit with her friend. Marie was sniffing a little bit, and her eyes were more than a little bit red.

"Bobby broke up with me," she said in a calmer voice than Sabine had expected. But she didn't reply, only nodded. "Only a matter of time, I guess. He met that crazy flexible girl and now he's all over her. Like everybody else."

"Marie, listen to me," said Sabine, taking her friend's gloved hands. "Listen closely, because I'm telling you this from years of experience." Marie frowned and focused her attention wholly on Sabine.

"_Fuck_ guys."

* * *

><p>Sabine rubbed her jaw gently, still sore after that punishing last blow in self-defense. She was done with classes for the day, but she hated ending on that one. Something always happened to make sure she wouldn't forget the lessons, and from the feel of it, the bruise would be enough to remind her to keep her fists up for a long while.<p>

Logan had taken them outside for sparring, and felt no inhibitions on putting the girls and the guys together for this class. Sabine, unfortunately, had been paired with one of the largest boys in her class. They called him Stonehenge, and he lived up to it. Tall, silent, and plain, he threw a mean punch.

But despite her bumps and bruises, most of them minor due to extensive safety precautions, it was an incredibly helpful class. As Logan would put it, 'you never know who you're going to end up fighting.'

Still, there was hardly room for mistakes. Sabine winced as her cheek throbbed. It was a pretty long walk back to the school, where she could ice it.

"How come you don't heal that yourself?"

Sabine whirled around, faced again with her strange new 'friend.' He was standing by the duck pond, his back to her but his head turned inquisitively in her direction. When she didn't immediately answer, he turned back to the water, watching the waves lap under the cold wind. His long-legged stance was one of complete tranquility, shoulders relaxed and hands in his pockets.

"I can't," she confessed, shrugging. Though her body cried out in protest, especially her reluctant eyes, she turned and began to walk back to the school. But to her secret delight, she heard him walking behind her. She stopped and let him catch up against her better judgment.

"Why not?" he pressed, his arm bumping hers lightly, almost by accident. Still, his proximity made her breath catch a little bit.

"Well, my breath doesn't touch my own face. It's a problem I've had before; if I want to reverse time anywhere near my head or neck, I have to do my whole body. And, believe it or not, I _don't_ enjoy doing that. It feels like cheating at life." Her eyes flitted to his face and back; his features were always too intense for her to look at for too long. But she couldn't resist his handsome profile. "Why are you at the duck pond?"

"Feeding ducks. Clearly." He hid his clean hands in his pockets suddenly, and she smiled a little bit. "And I find that interesting, but possibly not true. It's rare for a mutant's powers to reside in only one part of the body. For example, I don't _need_ my hands to move metal, but they provide both support and direction to the outlet of power from my mind. Storm doesn't need her hands to blow us up a good flurry, but she often uses them for more concentrated points."

"So you think I might be able to use my hands to direct the breath?" she asked him, eyebrows raised. She hadn't felt any such capabilities in her hands before, but if he was right, then her powers could reach an entire new level.

"No, of course not," he laughed, giving her a rather contemptuous look. "It's your _mind_. Your mind is what controls your powers, clearly, since you're not constantly breathing that stuff. It's not a muscle, is it? But your hands usually provide a good place to start, a visual with which you're already familiar. Holding something in your hand, you know."

Without moving his hands, he brushed the ground with his mind and drew a lost key from the bushes. It floated to Sabine, who held out her hand. He dropped it into her palm, where she stared at it.

"As simple as that."

She smiled at him, trying not to blush when he smiled back. His cool eyes were much too focused on hers; she dropped her gaze nervously. When his hand touched her cheek, she gasped and almost jumped back. But his grip on her jaw grew firm, and she held very still.

"That's an ugly bruise," he said, leaning forward to take a better look. "It'll probably be uglier in the morning, too." She shrugged, though her heart was bumping out of her chest at his face so close to hers again. She cursed at herself and stepped back, dislodging his hand from her face.

"It doesn't matter. I've had bruises before." Sabine turned and tried to leave him, but he followed her still. They were almost at the building now, and a few students watched them walk together with interest. Even her quick and rather rude walk didn't make him feel inclined to let her go. He grabbed her arm before she could walk through the front gates.

"Let me tutor you," he said, ever smiling. She found him difficult to trust, but her guard kept dropping when he looked at her like that. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Your powers are primarily centered on close targets, so being able to fight is something completely necessary to your well-being! If you can't safely get near somebody, then you're entirely useless in a combat situation." Sabine didn't plan on using her powers as weapons, but he did have a solid, logical point.

"Can you actually fight?" she asked him, sighing. He laughed at that, as if she had made the most adorable joke.

"I'll show you a thing or two about close combat."

* * *

><p>Please R&amp;R! The in-depth ones are the ones that really keep me writing 3<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Okay guys I TOTALLY FORGOT that Rogue (SPOILER ALERT!) gives up her powers in the last movie, and going back and changing everything would be wildly painful, sooo let's all just pretend she didn't? For me? :)

Also I do some martial arts, so the training will be drawn from that.

* * *

><p>"Careful, you're smearing the toe," muttered Marie as Sabine carefully smoothed another thin sheen of polish over her friend's nail. Sabine laughed dryly and dabbed off the extra red drops from the side of Marie's foot. They had just finished studying for Physics, and were winding down with a little female bonding. At least, that was how Marie always put it.<p>

"So is Bobby dating that new girl yet?" asked Sabine, mirroring Marie's scathing huff. "What's her name? Allison? Slut..." Marie shrugged and threw up her hands, a spatter of orange polish flinging over her shoulder and hitting a magazine.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter to me, anyways." They were quiet for a few minutes, and Marie grabbed the magazine she had accidentally dropped polish on. Sabine chewed one of her nails.

"Hey, Marie...you were part of that team from a few years back, right? The one fighting against Magneto?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light and nonchalant. Marie gave her an odd look, but nodded. "What was he like?"

"Horrible," grumbled Marie, flipping angrily through the magazine. "He didn't care at all about human life, and he was all 'for the mutant cause,' but if you were a mutant who got in the way of his cause, god help you. He nearly killed me once." Sabine chewed her lip and shakily applied an overcoat to her orange toes.

"I heard about that," she mumbled quietly. "And...and he was really powerful?"

"Powerful? He was practically _unstoppable_," said Marie, forgetting about the magazine she held in her moment of rage. Unthinkingly she had begun rolling it up in a right tube. "I've never _seen_ power like that, besides Professor Xavier's. I've never even gotten close enough to fight him hand to hand, there's always something metal around."

Sabine didn't respond, and Marie unfurled the magazine in a huff of remembered resentment. But, after a few minutes, she put it down again.

"So how about that new professor?"

Sabine's hand slipped horrible, and she smeared overcoat across the tops of all of her toes. Her eyes flew up, panicked, to Marie's face, but her friend was all smiles. She tried to smile back, but it felt twitchier than usual. "Hm? Wh-what about him?"

"Well, he's awfully good looking, isn't he? Even though he's, you know, normal. And I've seen you talking with him more than once," Marie hinted, her eyes coquettish. Clearly, Marie just wanted to change the subject, but she needed a few seconds for her heart to stop pounding so hard. Sabine managed a laugh, and felt her nerves ease a little bit. "So? Does he have a thing for you? Not going to lie, if I had to pick someone for a little teacher-student fantasizing, he'd probably be in my top five at least."

"Not top two? Right under Logan?" shot back Sabine, and Marie blushed brightly as she reached out and whacked Sabine's arm. But Marie was not to be deterred.

"_Well_? What's going on with him?" she begged, her eyes huge and pleading. Sabine shook her head, but she couldn't stop the smile playing around her mouth. _What is wrong with me?_ She wanted to deny anything, mostly to herself, but she also enjoyed being the center of attention on something boy-related, for once. More man-related, really, you could hardly call him a boy. Not with those wide shoulders, the patterns of the veins across his forearms...

"Not to insinuate anything," she said slowly, her smile tiny and self-conscious, "but, well, he is tutoring me on close combat." Marie wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Sabine couldn't help blushing very, very hard.

"Oh? Is that all? That's not so bad," said Marie, going back to her nails. As predicted, Sabine bristled and rose to her bait.

"Yeah? He also said he likes my tongue ring," said Sabine, sticking out her tongue. The metallic stud glinted devilishly, and Marie giggled, then resumed her serenity. She could have been deaf; her toenails were suddenly very important to her. She was very good at wheedling information from people; Sabine had completely forgotten that subtlety was kind of important. She inched forward, snatching the bottle from Marie. "Maybe he kissed me already..."

"Sabine!" gasped Marie, her jaw dropping. Suddenly remembering that he was a professor now, she flinched and backtracked a little bit.

"Well, I mean, _before_ he was a professor!" she corrected, wishing she hadn't said anything. "Before his interview, even! It doesn't count then!" Marie's expression moved from gleeful and horrified to thoughtful.

"I guess you're right...but if he's still got a thing for you, you _have_ to be careful! You could get in _so much trouble_!" Sabine nodded, and Marie clapped a hand on her shoulder, smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry. I won't tell."

"It's alright, I'm not really worried anymore. I mean, he knows the rules. He knows I've got boundaries."

* * *

><p>"Spread your feet a little more, that stance has no balance whatsoever."<p>

Sabine panted, a drop of sweat working its way down the side of her face. She wasn't bruised; Erik was as gentle as a kitten with her when it came to the sparring. But he was by no means a gentle teacher. He demanded her absolute and entire effort, and it was hard to stay focused sometimes, the way his white shirt clung to his hard frame.

"Okay...now do that block set I showed you," he said, raising his fists. Sabine took a deep breath and readied herself. He stepped towards her and feigned a punch; she knocked it aside with her forearm and stepped _forward_, not back, and feigned a punch to his jaw. She would have slid back to position but he reached out and stopped her.

"No, see, your body needs to parallel mine exactly for the best angle of attack. It's all about the angle, trust me. And don't aim for the jaw so much, that will only take you so far; aim for the neck, the temple, the sternum, stomach, all of the tender points." He pointed them out on himself, drawing her attention with his hand. Sabine held her breath as he dragged his finger from his neck to his navel, pointing out all of his own points of weakness.

She caught herself staring a moment too long, and checked upwards to make sure he hadn't noticed; she was met with his own cool gaze, filled with something dark and unbearably knowing. He was much too close; their bodies were still parallel, perhaps a foot apart. It definitely wasn't enough space.

She drew back and reset her stance. He smiled, an alluring baring of his white teeth.

"Now, to throw a good punch; make sure you tuck your thumb across your first two fingers, so you don't break it. The right amount of recoil, and then a quick spring forward. Always be ready to hit again, don't wait and see if it worked." He took a step towards her and suddenly snapped his fist forward; it stopped half an inch from her face. She flinched, but didn't step back.

The hand in front of her face curled, and suddenly he flicked her rather hard between the eyes. Sabine gasped a little, blinking against the force of it.

"Way to block," he laughed, and she gave him a dirty scowl. He relaxed and stepped back, letting her wipe the sheen of sweat on her forehead away. "Come on, let's practice something else."

His eyes zoned out for a moment, and his hand twitched a little bit. There was a sudden crashing, a scratching sound, and a dog was dragged into the clearing by the tags on his collar. Confused, it was still a friendly dog; it ran up to Sabine and licked her hand.

"Handy, that," she laughed, petting the dog. "Will his owners be missing him?" Erik shrugged carelessly, and Sabine saw a little of what Marie had meant. He clearly thought very little of the feelings and personal lives of others.

"Doesn't matter. They'll get him back. Now, here's what we're going to do," he said, his tone a little more serious. "Sit." The dog looked at him and then sat obediently. He smiled and took its collar. "You're going to see if you can make him forget how to sit."

"Wh-I don't think I _can_!" exclaimed Sabine, surprised. "I thought it was a fluke! It's only ever happened once!"

"Our powers don't have flukes," said Erik firmly, "any inconsistency is merely another facet of it that you've never uncovered. I've never had a 'fluke.' It's all metals, and entirely based on my own concentration and control. Yours is, too, and I have a feeling that your ability has more facets than you, or even Charles, had predicted."

Sabine nodded and looked at the dog. It was a lovely chocolate lab, his brown eyes so filled with trust that she felt terrible experimenting on it. But she wouldn't hurt it. Kneeling, she blew a gentle breath at the dog, the years of age crusting away from it. The coating was much more thin; the dog was four years old, and she knocked it down to three months. There was no way a dog could be taught to sit within the first three months of its life.

A few years wasn't much. The coating came away in thick, easy flakes, and a tiny puppy exploded from the debris. It wagged its tail eagerly, waiting for somebody to play with it. Erik knelt and touched its head.

"Sit."

The little puppy sat, and Sabine sighed. It hadn't worked.

"Alright, now age him and try again." She blew another breath, and it was back to four years. The coating chipped off easily again, melting into vapor once it hit the ground.

She tried over and over, trying to separate the factor that would make him forget. Again and again he sat, throwing her fluke in her face. She tried everything; short bursts, holding it in her mouth before expelling, very light and slow breathing, but no matter what she did the damn dog remembered how to sit.

Finally, Sabine fell back onto the ground, feeling unbelievably frustrated. The young dog sat staring at her, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. She was breathing hard, and trying not to look at Erik. He must be so disappointed in her...

But then he sat next to her, his elbows on his knees. He, too, stared at the dog, but more as though he were analyzing it. Then he turned and stared at her, as though he were analyzing _her_. She scowled at him.

"Stop looking at me like that," she growled, turning away. "I'm sorry, I tried. It's not working." She stood up and sent the dog another breath, aging it back to its appropriate time. Then, she began to walk away towards the direction of the school. A warm hand closed around her wrist though, and she couldn't stop a flutter of excitement beneath her bitter disappointment.

"Sabine, do you remember the person you fluked on? Do you remember the exact event?" he asked her, and she turned back to face him. This time, her eyes filled with tears, but she had lost her fear of him. She moved very, very close.

"Yes, I remember, Erik," she hissed, a wet streak running down the side of her nose. "I remember him attacking me on my way home from school. I remember he dragged me into an alley and punched me. He said he was going to kill me because I was so weird, he was going to dump me in the river when he was done with me. He k-kissed me, and I...I...I couldn't h-help it," she began to hiccup, trying to regain control of herself. Erik didn't move to comfort her; he stood silently at a distance.

"So...you did the breath inside of his mouth?" he asked her quietly, and she nodded rather than dared speak again. Only after a few moments did he move forward and put his arms around her. She laid her head against his chest, trying to steady her breathing. "It's alright. He deserved that; these homo sapiens are uncivilized, their species is on the downfall. You're not weird; you're beautiful, perfect."

He waited until she had calmed, then took her hand and drew her back to the dog.

"Here, just blow into the nose then," he instructed, the teacher once more. Sabine complied quietly, leaning forward and breathing into the beast's brown snout. It shared her breath and then changed, but to Sabine's surprise it still sat when Erik instructed it to.

"That's strange," she said, but Erik had an odd look on his face. His hand raised and some rusted bits of barbed wire flew towards him from the underbrush. Taking them, he molded it into something smoother and then began to tie it around the dog's torso. Confused, Sabine moved to stop him. "What are you-"

Erik moved forward and punched her.

It was a straight shot to the stomach. Choking, Sabine stumbled backwards, but he did not slow his advance. His foot shot out and she screamed when it connected to her thigh. He swung again and this time she managed to block it, but his other fist came from nowhere and powerfully knocked her arm aside. Sabine tried a punch at him, but he caught her arm and twisted it. She could feel her joint straining, so close to breaking.

Then, suddenly, she was on the ground; he had swept her feet from under her and the breath flew from her lungs as her back hit the ground. Terrified, she struggled as he clenched her wrists in his hand and the other drew back for another strike.

Sabine managed to free her hands and pushed him off of her. Stumbling to her feet, she began to run.

It was hard running with her leg still throbbing from his vicious kick, but she could hear him advancing and it terrified her. She gasped for breath, wishing she was close enough to the school for someone to hear if she screamed.

His hand closed on her again, but this time it was on the back of her neck. He turned her, forced her head down, and brought his knee up into her stomach. Sabine groaned silently, tears dripping down her cheeks. He let her slide off of his knee and drop to the ground, curled around her injured stomach and unable to take breath. But then he straddled her on the ground, tangling his hand in her hair.

"Are...you...insane?" she whispered hoarsely, hardly able to take in air. She felt as though she was going to throw up. But his eyes were ice cold as they surveyed her, and the hand in her hair pulled her head back.

The other drew a knife.

She tried to struggle, but she was still reeling from his attack. She could only cry a little, she didn't have the breath to beg for her life. But she did have a little breath, and that was all she needed.

It wasn't enough to kill him, she knew. Though she'd never killed a man before, she knew what it would take. This breath hardly existed, it tasted like novocaine on her tongue, but it was there. She breathed it out in a steady stream.

And then Erik was gone, and it was the dog on top of her, held just above the ground by its makeshaft metal harness.

"Sit."

The dog stared blankly at the two of them and then walked away.

Erik returned and dropped to her side. "I'm sorry, are you alright? Can you breathe yet?" His hands touched her wounded areas almost tenderly. "I tried not to break anything. And you should be able to heal them yourself, since they're under your neck." Sabine stared up at him, incredulous. If she could speak she would be yelling.

"You..._asshole_," she gasped, trying anyways. She tried to move away from him, but she was hurting everywhere. The bruise on her leg was the worst; it felt as though he had broken her femur, though she knew he hadn't. "What...the fuck...is _wrong_...with you?" He smiled regretfully and stroked her hair.

"Sorry, my little experiment wouldn't have worked if I'd told you," he said, shrugging. "I figured that since it wasn't physical, it had to be mental. Or emotional, but honestly anything emotional can be mimicked fairly easily in the mind. So I theorized it must be a defense mechanism, to make your attacker forget why he was attacking you in the first place. Apparently I was right."

"Fuck...science..." grumbled Sabine, still furious with him. But she was feeling a little bit better, and when she tried to sit up Erik was quick to help her.

She blew a small breath on her thigh first; the cast was almost sheer, it was so thin. She broke it away with a quick shake, and any bruising that had begun to appear already was entirely gone. Her next breath went to her poor, abused stomach, and she felt much better after that. Finally able to take a deep breath, she threw Erik a glare.

He helped her to her feet and once standing, she immediately threw his hand back at him and began storming away. He trotted after her, but in a much more apologetic manner than usual.

"I'm sorry, but you have to admit I was right!" he barked, but that didn't make her feel much better. She snorted and kept walking. "You might never have known that it wasn't a fluke if I hadn't helped you!"

"_Helped me_?" she snarled, whirling around. "You-I…you-_aaargh_!" Unable to choose one of the many choice words floating around in her head, she turned away from him again and continued walking. He didn't give up, though.

"Yes, alright, it was a little unconventional, but you needed a wakeup check! Now you know that one, your powers are entirely more complex than you had assumed and two, you can't fight worth shit! But I can help you, with both!"

"I don't want your help," she snapped, tempted to break into a run. But as he'd already proven, he was extremely fast and she didn't want him chasing her again. "Thanks, but I don't particularly enjoy having to heal myself." He jogged until he was in front of her and stopped her, his hands on her shoulders and a patient look on his face.

"When you're in a situation like that, it's better to know what to do from experience than from theory," he told her seriously. Sabine was still mad, but the way he looked at her tugged at her anyways. "I'm done showing you the strength of your mind over your powers. I won't do that to you again."

She didn't know if she could trust him, but hell, she'd trusted him with worse. She ground her teeth, viciously battling her anger against his oh-so-charming smile.

"Promise?" she asked darkly, not entirely able to give in. With a mischievous grin he stepped even closer, tipping her face up with his chin. His lips touched hers gently, once, twice, again and again in a shower of sweet, tiny kisses that made her knees a little weak. When he finally stopped and withdrew, his eyes were glittering with deep desire. It absolutely took her breath away, and she couldn't help leaning into him a little bit. Just to help her balance.

"Promise."

* * *

><p>"I don't want to talk to you."<p>

"Please, just listen to me. You know why I did what I did. After I lost my powers, I gave up too, I abandoned the cause." Erik sat back in the low chair in his room, one hand at his temple. The other was tight on a phone by his ear.

"You abandoned _me_!" hissed the voice from the phone. "I would die for the cause, but I'd have died for you first! _Don't_ call me again, I don't want to talk to you!"

"Raven, don't lie to yourself. You've always loved me, that much is true, and you've known me better than anyone else. You of all people should have understood." A quiet sniff, and silence for a few moments. Erik waited patiently, always so patiently. A quarter hovered in his hand, spinning slowly.

"Why are you calling me, anyways?" came her voice, uncharacteristically emotional. Erik bared his teeth in a smile and closed his fingers over the quarter. He crushed the shape until it was a small, lustrous blob.

"I've found somebody very special," he said, laughing a little bit. "I think you'd really like her." He heard a scoff on the other end of the line; much more in character for her.

"Really? You called me to gush about your new romance?" came Raven's dry response. But underneath the tone was interest; she knew that he was about to tell her something else. She _did_ know him best, after all.

"I did. You see, I've become quite fond of this girl. She really brings out the youth in me...among other things," he said lazily, enjoying drawing out his old friend's impatience. It didn't take too long; he could practically hear her drumming her fingers. He lowered his voice a little, wary of eavesdroppers. "I think you'd like to meet her. Her powers really are extraordinary. Come and see for yourself."

"I don't know, Erik," said Raven quietly. "Things aren't the same. _We're_ not the same. I don't understand why you're talent-scouting again, we're not a part of the cause anymore. It's done, we can't go back to the way we were."

"Yes, Raven. We can."

The power behind his words made her silent again. She weighed them and found the thought, the hope, almost too much to bear. He waited for her to speak.

"When...when can I come?"

* * *

><p>Thanks for the reviews! Next chapter soon :)<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the X-men characters

Soooo...heeey readers...I know it's been a while, sorry! I've been very busy! Anyways, here's a new chapter, I was reading this and decided that I should pick up my fanfictions again. So here you go!

* * *

><p>Ororo sat at her desk, her hands trembling around a single piece of paper. She smiled, tears stinging at her lashes. Ten million dollars...what this school could do with ten million dollars...it might not be much for larger schools, but for Professor Xavier's little hideaway, it could fund and entire new wing, complete with the tech necessary to run it. And all because of that new professor.<p>

A knock sounded softly at her office door, and she quickly opened a drawer to slip the check into. She cleared her throat.

"Come in!"

A pause, then the knob turned. She was greeted with a pair of lovely grey-green eyes, and a handsome smile. A little flustered, she smoothed her silvery hair. "Oh, Professor Lehnsherr, it's good to see you!" She stood to shake his hand as he took the seat across from her desk. A catlike smile graced his features. "I wanted to thank you, again, for your extremely generous donation."

"I just want what's best for the school," he assured her. "I've always admired Professor Xavier's work, ever since I was very young." Storm smiled and waited to see what he'd come in for. He leaned forward, his fingers twisting self-consciously. He seemed at a loss for words.

"What is it, Mr. Lehnsherr? Did you need something?" she asked him, seemingly concerned. Erik smiled and laughed abashedly.

"I just...my cousin wants to come in and see me, Miss Storm, and I was wondering if there were any spare rooms for her? She's coming from very far away, and I know that there aren't any hotels within a good distance of here. I had hoped to show her the school." He put up his hands, as though afraid of offense. "If it's too much, then I'm sure we can figure something else out!" Storm smiled kindly.

"It shouldn't be a problem at all. And please, call me Ororo." Suddenly, his expression shifted. Storm stirred, feeling her cheeks flush a little. Though she knew he wasn't a mutant, something about this man felt so...so powerful. His confident eyes made her more than a little bit shaky. But he smiled brightly at her and stood. She stood too, a little bit dazed.

"Of course. And Ororo, I'd love to take you to dinner sometime. You know, for being so hospitable." She felt herself nod as he took her hand and, instead of shaking it, leaned forward and brushed his lips across the back of it. With that, he turned and left her office. Storm plopped back into her seat, feeling confused. There was something very mysterious about this man, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was as though they had met before.

* * *

><p>"I heard you're taking the headmaster to dinner this week."<p>

Sabine flipped another page irritably, trying not to let herself feel just a little betrayed. They weren't in a relationship or anything...she just didn't like Erik getting close to somebody as important as Storm, especially with the secret she was so desperately protecting. The library was a good place to fume alone, but her favorite professor had a knack for hunting her down. A graceful hand smoothed the page for her. Erik had taken the seat next to her for some reason.

"Don't be hurt. You know that every woman pales to you," he purred, but she rolled her eyes at him in irritation. He sighed and leaned back, expression more calculative. "How did you even find out?"

"Everybody knows everything here," she muttered, wishing he would leave so she could study properly for her test. _'Liar,_' her brain crooned to her. '_You love that he's bothering you..._' She tried to shake off her own secret enjoyment at his attention; never before had she enraptured somebody. She knew it made her weak, and she _knew_ that she needed to remain strong against him. Even as the thought passed through her head, she could feel his cold gaze on her. But when she looked up, his eyes were surprisingly warm.

"I'm taking her to dinner to discuss the school," he said quietly. "This is all according to plan. She means nothing to me, my dear." He crowed inwardly at Sabine's flush, at the jealousy she tried so hard to stifle. His mind flew to Raven, his most trusted accomplice. Could Sabine be even more? She could be easily manipulated, if he was careful enough. She was a shy and defensive girl, prone to moments of weakness. Raven was ambitious, dedicated to not only him but his cause; this girl did not have Raven's ambition, he could see that clearly. But she was immensely powerful, and was absolutely the key to his invincibility.

"Tell you what, how about I take you to dinner twice this week?" he asked her softly, his gaze what could only be described as smoldering. Sabine felt her heart stutter, felt her head nod yes, yes yes! But before she could open her mouth and refuse, he chucked her chin gently and grinned.

"Great, then the first one is tonight. Be dressed by seven, and I'll take us somewhere secluded."

Before she could say a word, he stood and left her. Furious with herself and unable to make her brain focus on the book, Sabine slammed it shut. Somebody looked up and shushed angrily, and she blushed and immediately apologized. Sadly, she picked up her books and tucked them into her orange backpack. Why couldn't she just stand up to people? She mourned inwardly at the test that she was probably going to fail, now that she had a dinner date and had hardly got any studying done at all once she heard about Erik's date with Professor Munroe. But her grade was decent in that class...maybe she could pull off an A on the final and scrape by.

Which she wouldn't have had to do if she'd just never turned Erik young again in the first place.

Cursing her own stupidity, she shouldered her backpack and began the short trek back to her own room. Her mood only spiraled down as she passed James and Kitty, now at the holding hands stage of their new relationship. He didn't even spare a glance for her, despite the fact that she had gone ahead and brought him up with Kitty after their horribly failed date. Miserable, she turned into her room.

It was empty. Not even Marie had stopped by. Feeling glad to be alone, she curled up on her cool bed and opened a window a little bit. A lovely breeze flowed into the room, and she felt better. Good enough to begin wondering what she would be wearing at seven. Her closet hung open, and from the bed she could pick out some outfits already hung together. The green dress? It seemed too fancy...she cursed herself again for not asking him where he was going to take them. She hated being over or under dressed. Jeans? What if it was somewhere really expensive? The pencil skirt with her button down white blouse? She'd look like a secretary.

Wishing she didn't care so much, Sabine rolled over into her pillow and screamed.

* * *

><p>Erik carefully sorted through the essays on his desk. Being a languages professor was paying off; he could carefully steer into subjects that he wanted to know without anybody catching on. Teaching nearly all languages, he had almost every student at the school cycling through his course. The latest assignment he had given them was to write a paragraph in one of his various language courses on their powers, and he did look forward to doing some recruiting.<p>

A soft knock sounded on the door to his classroom. Erik glanced up and called them in; a young man walked into the room, one of the students in his French class. It was a quiet young man who usually sat in the back of his room and sketched; Erik didn't mind, of course, but he felt uneasy about this student coming in after hours. Regardless, he pushed away the papers and smiled. There was no reason to make this boy afraid of him.

"Mr. Burn, what can I help you with?" he asked easily. The lean man looked very unnerved, and that probably didn't bode well. Erik frowned. "Can I help you with something? I have somewhere to be very soon, I'm sorry."

"You...you're a bad person," whispered the boy fearfully. Erik, eyebrows raised, froze. "And you need to leave..."

"Mr. Burn, I assure you, I'm not a bad person," replied Erik curtly, picking the papers up again and dropping them into his briefcase. "And I think _you're_ the one who needs to leave, I really have a full schedule for tonight." He stood and gestured towards the door, but the boy just backed up a step and stared.

"You lied," stammered Peter Burn. Erik's eyebrows rose as he studied the boy. Tall but lanky, polite but awkward; this was a nobody. "You lied to the Headmaster...you do have powers." Erik smiled slowly, not hostile in the least. This would have to be handled very carefully.

"And how do you know that, my dear boy?" he asked with interest. The boy looked surprised, but almost pleased. Erik's discomfort settled into calm intensity. "Your powers must be very impressive. However, I have not yet read these essays, so I really am curious."

"I...I read minds," burst the boy. "I'm technically a psychic...but I'm no Professor Xavier. I can't make force fields or communicate or pause time...I can only hear what other people think. I mean, I usually don't listen to other people...but I can't help it sometimes. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to listen to you. But I'm sorry...I have to tell Professor Munroe if you don't go!" His voice had steadied, become more determined. Erik wondered why the boy hadn't gone to the professor earlier, but staring intently at the boy, he realized that this was a kind soul. This was a boy who could not bring harm to another creature, like his Sabine. However, he was hardly as useful as his little prodigy. Erik could not forgive this boy's soft heart.

"If I'm a bad person," said Erik smoothly, rising from his desk. The boy stumbled a few steps back, but it was pointless. The door swung shut and the bolt slammed. The boy's eyes turned wide and fearful. "Then why did you come alone?"

"I'll scream," croaked Peter, realizing that his situation had changed entirely, "somebody will hear me." He had clearly hoped that being in Erik's office, which was surrounded by adjacent offices and study rooms, would give him privacy and also safety. Erik chuckled, not feeling threatened in the least. His hand lashed out and caught the boy's neck. He dragged Peter, squirming, very close. Erik's teeth bared only inches from the boy's face.

"Leave," he hissed menacingly. "Say a word, and I will kill everybody in this school. Go ahead and read my mind; I can do it. But I'll get you first. Leave _tonight, _or so help me I will tear you apart piece by quivering piece."

He threw Peter to the ground, where he remained trembling and horrified. Erik dusted off his suit casually. He really needed to get into something more comfortable for his date. A glock floated out of his suitcase and hovered right in front of the boy on the ground. He swallowed hard as the bolt charged. Erik calmly withdrew a pack of cigarettes and balanced one between his lips.

"You think I couldn't get away with it? Whose fingerprints do you think would be on that gun?" Sweat beaded down the boy's forehead, and Erik recognized the breaking point. He dropped the gun and the door flew open. "Get out. Never come back."

A waste, he thought mournfully to himself as he watched the long figure scramble to flee his office. A psychic, even a weak one, would be a good asset to have. But he might come back. Or, better, Erik might just find himself a new psychic. It didn't really matter. But he made a mental note to go through those essays soon, just in case there were any more surprises like Peter Burn.

He couldn't afford to have too many breaks in his cover.

* * *

><p>Sabine pulled at her fingers shyly. She had finally, agonizingly, decided on her green dress, but downplayed the formality of it with a brown belt and jacket; if they went somewhere nice, she'd just take the jacket off. If not, she still looked pretty casual. Heat flooded her face as she realized that she was dressing for Erik; had she purposefully chosen a dress with a low neckline?<p>

There was no time to change. Almost sweating from nerves, she held her breath and knocked on the office door.

A tall and handsome man emerged. Sabine smiled at him before she could stop herself. He sported long black dress slacks, a light grey button-down shirt, and a very toothy smile. He looked so elegant that she was glad she'd worn the dress anyways. Her heels were low, but they were heels. He offered her his arm and they sneaked down the back stairs.

Luckily, they didn't run into anybody on their way out. Sabine wished that she could be angry she wasn't studying, but something about the cold air made her too giddy to care. Or was it her charming date? He pulled her along until they approached a nondescript black car. It seemed very elegant, as Sabine slid across the grey leather. Erik pulled into drive and soon they were speeding out of the school and towards the town. Suddenly, Sabine realized that this was a real date...that she wasn't with her friend Erik who used to play chess with her, or Professor Lehnsherr, but a man who was taking her to dinner all dolled up. She was abruptly and terribly nervous. She tried not to wipe her sweaty hands on her pretty dress, but her jacket was just not absorbent. And when she realized how silent the car was, it was all she could do not to panic.

"You look lovely," said Erik calmly, lowering the windows a crack. Sabine gratefully enjoyed the cool air across her damp skin. Her heart rate slowed. She was wrong. This was Erik, her friend who had listened to her and given her comfort and advice. He was younger, but he was the same man. He _had_ to be the same man. She frowned as she noticed how fast the car was going. It ran so smoothly that it had been difficult to tell, but she caught a quick glimpse of the speedometer.

"Shouldn't you slow down?" she asked him, concerned. He laughed and shook his head. She couldn't quite determine why he looked so deviously pleased until she heard the telltale wail of a police car. "Now you've done it," she said grumpily.

But, suddenly, the wail stopped. Sabine whipped around and saw the dark shape of the car motionless on the road, and had one glimpse of a confused and disgruntled policeman emerging before they were out of sight. Erik burst into mischievous laughter, and the sound of it was so contagious that Sabine couldn't stop a few giggles from bursting out, though she disapproved highly of taunting policemen.

"Okay, that was pretty funny," she admitted after failing to stifle a few more fits. She felt much more at ease, and shrugged out of her jacket. The cool night air played flirtatiously across her bare arms. She felt drunk off of the dark sideways glances she elicited from Erik. "How far are we going?"

"Not too far," he admitted, smiling a little. "Just on the edge of town, there's a quiet Greek restaurant. It's very exclusive, I didn't want to be intruded upon by other students or, god forbid, professors." At the word exclusive, Sabine was very, very glad that she had not worn jeans.

Sure enough, Sabine did not recognize anybody inside of the restaurant. It was a dark and sultry place, with a balcony opened to the sea. She shivered as she looked around; she had never realized that this place was here. But apparently it _was_ exclusive, because she had seen Erik slip the maitre d' a rather hefty tip.

He seated them in a quiet corner, overhung by a canopy of ivy. Sabine smiled; the light of the moon through the ivy was beautiful. She'd never seen a place like this before. Erik winked at her before opening his menu, and her hands shook slightly as she opened her own. Erik, of course, didn't miss it; he waved a waiter over.

"Can we get a bottle of Merlot?" he asked quietly. The waiter nodded, and though his eyes slid momentarily over Sabine, he didn't question them. Sabine scowled lightly at Erik, who gave her an innocent smile.

"I'm not twenty-one," she whispered, but Erik scoffed before opening his menu again.

"You're at a university away from home, and you're twenty; I'm very confident that this won't be exactly new for you." She didn't bother asking why the waiter hadn't carded either of them. Sipping at her water, she tried not to seem overly surprised at the price of the food. Why should she have expected anything less than obscenely expensive?

"What are you getting?" she asked him, straining to figure out what price range she should be aiming for. He sighed and shrugged a little.

"I guess the honey-glazed porkchops," he murmured. Sabine shook her head; who pays fifty dollars for pork chops? He glanced up and smiled when he caught her expression. "Something wrong? I'd suggest the lamb kleftico, it's very delicious." Sabine laughed when she saw that it was even more expensive than the pork.

"Whatever your job was before you retired, I want it," muttered Sabine as she slapped the menu down in slight irritation. She raised an eyebrow as Erik chuckled. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand.

"My dear, before I retired I led a revolution that shook the pillars of earth. You are free to have my job anytime you stand up and take it." She didn't quite know what to say to that, but her heart stuttered when his fingers caressed hers. '_Stop it, this is so inappropriate...he's older than you_!' Her stubborn heart proved difficult to silence. More likely, though, it wasn't her heart at fault...

The waiter returned with the wine, and filled two glasses wordlessly. Sabine smiled and took a sip of wine; it was light and delicious, and just what she needed to warm her cheeks. She took another sip. "So, you're old; how did you make so much money?" He traded her a slightly miffed look before setting down his menu. She wondered if it was not an appropriate question to ask him, but the playful gleam in his eye eased her nerves.

"I am not _old_," he pointed out, trying to look very serious. Sabine stifled a giggle. "But if you must know, I did get left quite a bit of money when my parents died. On top of that, I worked a bit with various national governments...just some freelance stuff, from when I was younger. That opened up some of my bank accounts overseas. The real money was in my 'Homo Superior' movement that ended not too long ago; a lot of big names were willing to donate to the cause, sometimes in support and sometimes as a bribe to stay away from them or to move in a certain economic direction. Nearly all of it was used in recruiting, but there was always more than enough left over."

Sabine noticed that though he gave her a good outline of his financial experience, he didn't exactly go in depth into anything. What exactly was freelance work for governments? But she had already asked him something very personal, and she sensed that he didn't often go into his own background, so she should just appreciate what he _did_ tell her. Something about his words, though, gave her a strange feeling. She felt as though she should be scared, or worried, even though they were just sitting in a restaurant.

"Recruiting?" she whispered fearfully. She saw something unfamiliar flit quickly into his eyes, but it was immediately gone. He smiled and leaned forward, petting her fingers reassuringly.

"All in the past," he said firmly. "I needed a lot of support with the political movement, and that doesn't exactly come free." She sat back, frowning, but didn't ask any more. She sensed that she had tread onto hostile grounds for some reason. Though Erik was still relaxing against the cushioned booth, she couldn't help feeling that he was tense, or anxious. "But, tell me how school is going."

"Miserably," sighed Sabine, glad that the conversation had steered somewhere safe. "My classwork is suffering, and all of my friends have paired up, so now nobody wants to do anything besides sneak off with their boyfriends. It doesn't help that I spend half my time worrying over _you_." She shot him a glare, but it was halfhearted. She had brought this on herself, after all. Erik looked appropriately sympathetic. "But...I'm glad you're here too. I'm learning a lot about my powers that I've never realized before." It was true. Erik had been dedicated to her ever since he had arrived at the school. His latest interest, he had mentioned to her, was in the potency of the breath. He had instructed her to fill several jars, and had sent them to a private lab to have the gas carefully evaluated. Sabine herself had had no idea that the potency could be important, and was very excited to find out.

"You don't need to worry over me, I won't hurt anybody" said Erik soothingly. His eyes got that look in them, and she felt her heart beat faster. The waiter discreetly slipped their steaming meals in front of them; the exotic aroma of the roasted lamb was intoxicating. When had they ordered? Her slim silver necklace tugged gently forward, leaning her towards him. He leaned forward until his face was inches from hers. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his steely gaze. "Gentle as a kitten," he breathed, and though indescribable fear spiked through her at the raw, barely controlled power beneath his eyes, she flushed hotly.

It took her several extremely aroused seconds to realize that he had released her necklace. Leaning back slowly, she felt a little foolish as he cut into his meal. She picked up a knife too, and sliced into the tender lamb dish. He was right; the lamb was delicious. She savored each juicy bite, wishing that she had the money to eat here every day.

Erik's phone rang, and he immediately stood. "I'll take this outside, I'll be back in a few minutes." Sabine nodded, unconcerned, as Erik slipped quickly and quietly through the restaurant. Outside was a slender convertible, and a lovely dark-haired woman leaned against it with her arms crossed. She was as beautiful as ever, but now age lined her delicate features. Erik smiled at her as he approached.

She awarded his smile with a slap that rung across the parking lot. Erik rubbed his jaw, but shrugged. "I deserved that, I guess," he muttered, still smiling a little. The look she gave him was ferocious.

"You deserve a _lot_ more than that," she burst, but slowly her expression shifted. She reached up and gently touched the red mark where her hand had struck, awe filling her face. "So you were telling the truth..."

"Yes...Raven, your life is about to change again." He slipped a vial from his jacket, a vial filled with a clear, milky fluid. "The lab results just got back; they concentrated it down to a fluid. One injection of this, and you'll be the way you were before." Raven picked up the vial, unable to distrust him. Not with that face...how could he lie? She had always been his most useful right hand. She quickly slipped the vial into a pocket of her jacket and glanced back at the restaurant. Not for the first time, he saw that menacing look.

"You're seducing her," she said grudgingly, taking in the dark-lit restaurant. Erik nodded; there had never been any reason to hide things from Raven. "Like me..."

"Not like you," he corrected. "Not exactly. She's much more gentle than you were, but easy to manipulate. We need her. Her powers could be the key to making our revolution unstoppable."

"Revolution? _What_ revolution? scoffed Raven. "We're done. Everybody's dead or they left us when we lost our powers. You aren't going to be able to harvest enough of this stuff to bring them all back without her getting suspicious, and I highly doubt that she'll willingly agree to something so morally wrong, especially from what you've been telling me about her."

"I don't _need_ my old recruits," said Erik dismissively. Raven's eyebrows rose. "I have a new idea, and some new footholds, but I need your help with it. Besides, you were always my most loyal follower." Raven frowned.

"I was loyal because I loved _you_," she said quietly. "I would have followed you anywhere." Erik was serious now, and Raven's eyes watered a little bit as she returned with a sad smile. "She won't follow the revolution either, will she..."

"No. She's mine. And I don't want you to interfere," said Erik quietly. Coldly. Raven swallowed her tears. Her fingers clenched around the vial in her pocket. "I got a place for you in town. Lay low until I call you, and I'll lead you from there. Just do what I say, and everything should go according to plan. We'll have our army again soon. And...you'll always be my right hand. I won't abandon you again."

Raven whirled away from him and into her car. She cast him one hateful, longing look before pulling out of the parking lot and speeding away. Erik stared after her for a few moments before returning to the restaurant.

* * *

><p>"You missed dessert," scolded Sabine playfully. Erik laughed as he sat beside her instead of across from her. From the flush of Sabine's already wine-tinted cheeks, she was not about to complain. He smiled when he noticed that she had left him a sizable portion of the demolished German chocolate cake. "And you didn't finish your food!"<p>

"I'm not hungry for it anymore," he said in a low, reverberating voice. The darkness behind his words left her speechless. A smudge of chocolate colored her soft mouth, and he licked his lips as he leaned forward. Trapped, Sabine had nowhere to go as he sucked gently at her lips, one hand tangled firmly in her dark hair. With the wall at her back, his hand in her hair, and his body much too close, Sabine suffered in delicious, inescapable agony. It was so, so wrong, but there was something so authoritative in him that she couldn't push him away.

Done with light play, he kissed her deeply, his tongue breaking past the seal of her lips. Heady with wine and unbearable longing, she ran her hands through his hair, down his neck, across his broad chest, and over his shoulders. Power, so much strength...she couldn't help herself. She wanted it to be hers, she wanted him so badly, wanted him to hold her against his powerful body, wanted to feel his arms tight around her bare back. She wanted his terrifyingly destructive hands to trace her face with the gentle curiosity of a child.

But too soon he pulled away, leaving her breathless and glowing. He was still so close, and the smell of him invaded even her mind. He smelled like something dark and wild, exotic and forbidden. Her hands clenched at the front of his nice shirt, frightened that he might fade away from her, though he stayed so close. They had already gone too far.

With one hand, he tugged her easily into his lap. She gasped and immediately looked around, but nobody was paying them any attention. Most of the patrons had already left, and the wait staff had taken the hint. They kept a respectful distance from the secluded table. Erik tugged at her necklace, this time with his hand, and pulled her into another kiss. This one was slower, more intimate somehow. It stirred something deeper in her, though she couldn't describe what. She could have stayed there forever, kissing him, but a hard, _hard_ nudge exactly where she needed it convinced her that they needed to leave. _Now_. She pulled away, eyes wild, and he smiled up at her. So innocent. She wanted to smack him for that look, but his next words were exactly what she wanted to hear.

"Should we take this somewhere else?"


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own X-men. Do I have to post this with every chapter? Is that a thing?

**If you don't recognize where this chapter's at**, please check previous chapter. They've been uploaded pretty close together...comparatively...but yaaay! this chapter is super duper long! :)

Oh also this chapter is definitely M, so don't read it if you're not into that (although the story was also labeled M, so you should be comfortable with that if you're up to this point anyways).

* * *

><p>Sabine's head cleared in the speeding car. The cold night air reminded her that she was still a student, and they were on their way back to the University...where her date <em>worked<em>. There was _no way_ that this was appropriate. But...she cast a longing glance back at Erik. He had pursued her relentlessly since the first day she had turned him back, and showed no signs of stopping. She couldn't deny her attraction to him, both physically and mentally. He was charming, charismatic, nearly frightening; and she wanted him more than she'd like to admit.

But she didn't have very much to go off of...her first sexual experience had been clumsy and unfulfilling at best, and since her first boyfriend she hadn't exactly sought out another physical relationship. She had heard Kitty talk about some of her more heated encounters and they intrigued her, but not so much that she had pursued similar relationships. She'd been too preoccupied with her two little brothers when she was young, and trying to raise them properly with her aunt. But once she got ejected unceremoniously from her aunt's house and found shelter with Professor Xavier, she was able to indulge a little into boys.

Kurt Hanstein had been her first boyfriend, and after months of nagging, she had let him take her virginity. They had only had sex two more times before they eventually broke it off, but none of them were any more fulfilling than the first time. Convinced that sex was not for her, she focused on her studies and rather neglected her social life, closing many opportunities for deeper relationships.

But this man next to her...something about his easy confidence, his years of experience, told her that it would be different. His casual posture whispered of sensual promises, of pleasures he could show her. She knew that if she relented, he would take her. She could see him rising, powerful, with her beside him...and it was too tempting.

'_What am I doing?_' she chided herself, feeling awful. '_This is inappropriate...I could get expelled for this, I'm using my powers, after_ everything _Professor Xavier did to make me see how dangerous they are...I'm...I'm consorting with his enemy!' _She imagined Professor Xavier's face, Professor Munroe's face, if they realized who exactly was teaching in their school now. '_And I can't stop letting my hormones get in the way_!'

By the time they got back to the school, her mind had cleared. She couldn't, _couldn't_ fall for him. He seemed to sense that something in her had changed, and didn't push her as they left his car. He was clearly disgruntled, but he didn't say a word to her. He just opened the front doors for her.

"Logan!" she gasped suddenly, stopping in her tracks. "I'm not supposed to leave without him!" Professor Munroe had been so lenient with her that she forgot about her escort, but Erik shook his head.

"I had already talked with Logan, and he was fine handing over his duties to me tonight. I told him that you wanted to see your uncle in town, who happens to be an old friend of mine." Sabine frowned at him. Had he always been so manipulative? He seemed very used to getting his way. "Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal, and Logan was more than eager to go out to some bar tonight instead of doing a boring escort job."

"I'm not boring," she grumped, but wasn't really angry. He was already charming her; she had to get to her room before she did something very stupid. "I...I'm tired, and I still have some studying to do," she said quietly. He frowned sadly, tipping her chin up with one hand. It was rather late, and none of the students were in the foyer. They were all either studying in their rooms or in the gardens outside. She struggled internally with her longing for him and her distrust of him.

"Would you like to study in my room? I could use the company." His request was quiet and unassuming. There was little pressure, but something very genuine in his voice. She sighed, feeling herself relenting. "I could help you...or not, if you don't want my help. But I imagine my room is going to be much quieter than your hall."

She squinted at him. "No funny business? You'll really let me study?" He was right, it was very difficult to study in your own room, and besides him she would be entirely undisturbed in his room. He smiled and held up a hand in a solemn promise. She smiled a little bit. "Maybe if you're good we can play chess afterwards."

"I'd like that. Go get into something comfortable, my room will be unlocked."

* * *

><p>Sabine sat on her bed, staring at her desk. She felt the presence of no inner slut, nobody to tell her what to do. Her moral push balanced out equally with her attraction. She felt as though she was floating through a dark unknown, waiting for somebody to tell her what to do, but it was useless. It was her and Erik, and nobody else. And he didn't help her, but waited quietly with open arms.<p>

He _had_ to be manipulating her. His interest in her was so much deeper than those she had helped before. He was clearly attracted to her...but perhaps not in the way she was hoping he'd be. He was too attracted to her; she didn't stand out like Kitty, she wasn't outgoing like Marie. In fact, if anything she was painfully shy, a pushover. She'd always been such a pushover...

James' face floated to her mind, the way he looked when he asked to meet Kitty Pryde on their only date. Anger coursed unexpectedly through her, and she struggled to control it. Why did she have to be such a pushover? Why couldn't she just look James in the face and tell him to screw off?

"I'm tired of being nice," she whispered to herself. It felt so good to hear out loud for the first time. "_I'm tired of being nice._" More forcefully. "_**I'M TIRED OF BEING NICE!**_" With a squeak, she covered her mouth with her hands. Silence down her hall, and then a loud knock at her door. Sabine opened it timidly, to see Ashley King frowning at her.

"Uh...are you alright?" asked the girl cautiously. Ashley lived across the hall from her and had the ability to see through almost anything; with some training from Professor Xavier, she now controlled it out of courtesy. Her pale eyes scanned the room quickly, though she could have done it before even knocking. "I thought I heard somebody yelling..."

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine," stammered Sabine, embarrassed. "I just...I dropped something, and I've had a long day..." Her voice faded to a whisper as Ashley nodded and began to turn away. She sadly recognized the look Ashley gave her, that look she'd received from mutants and normal people alike: '_weirdo_.' Sabine felt her face burning as she closed the door, and dropped onto her bed with a sigh. "What do I do?"

As if on cue, James' face rose, laughing, to mind. She frowned, feeling that awful, mocking sensation at the sight of him. He was nothing...he wasn't even that good looking. He was a mean person. She could do better than him. Right now, a beautiful man, a mutant more powerful than anybody she'd met outside of Professor Xavier, was waiting for her.

She sat up and slipped the dress over her head. She unfastened her bra, slid her underwear over her knees. Gently unclipped the silver necklace.

He was waiting for her, maybe using her and maybe not. His insufferable control over everything around him, his all-knowing attitude just made her more and more irritable. He thought he knew everything, just because he was old as shit. He thought he could manipulate her because she was so soft and kind. But what he didn't know was that everybody took advantage of Sabine, because she was kind. Everybody used her pushover nature against her. She recognized it when she saw it.

"I'm not shocking, or beautiful, or exotic, or even worth remembering," she muttered angrily to herself, fists clenched. The words hurt because she was right. When nobody knew about her powers, she was nothing to them. Her eyes cast across the room, to the jewelry box tucked in her closet. She remembered something she had bought in an attempt to win a costume contest. An idea burst into her mind, one bold enough to make her dizzy, but it was exactly what she had been looking for. "Not yet."

She opened the box and stared at the cuffs; small accessories of her Cleopatra costume. Her smooth, dark hair had helped her to get second place. They were only cheap sterling silver bracelets, painted gold, but they would do. She slipped all five of them on and then in a daring move, her light robe. She took no books with her. Peeking out the hall, she could see it was fairly empty besides a small group of people near the back corner chatting. She slipped from her room completely unnoticed.

The stairs were even more vacant. It was a Thursday night; she could hardly expect students to be wandering the halls in the middle of the week this close to midnight. Her feet padded against the stairs, as silent as a cat, but she froze and ducked when she heard voices.

"I just don't know what to do. I mean, it's not appropriate for me to date a subordinate, but I couldn't say no, not after his extremely generous donation to the school. He's so much younger than me too...I'm sure it will be entirely professional, it's just dinner, right?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't call it a date. But, between you and me, he _is_ a seriously attractive man. I'd be careful around him if I was you, Ororo!"

Sabine recognized the voices: it was Professor Munroe and her secretary, Ms. Padge. She felt a sudden and extreme jealousy well up, surprising because she usually liked Professor Munroe. Perhaps it was because the headmaster was currently delaying her very personal meeting; perhaps it was because she was feeling more aggressive tonight. The voices faded as the two continued towards the library, and Sabine waited only a few short seconds before moving the rest of the way down the stairs.

It was dangerous, walking through the professors' quarters dressed like she was, but the danger added to her private thrill. She reached the door, and a cold chill swept over her body, but was quickly replaced with heat. Without hesitating, she opened the door and stepped inside.

He was undressing in front of his desk, his shirt folded neatly and his pants unbuckled. He looked surprised that she had come; Sabine realized that she must have spent at least an hour upstairs fighting with herself, and he had given up on her. They stared at one another quietly for a few moments. It was clear to both of them that she held no books.

Sabine felt oddly powerful, an intoxicating sensation that gave her confidence. Slowly, she slipped her robe over her shoulders and dropped it to the floor. He didn't move a muscle, but she felt more than heard his breath suck in as he stared.

Nothing. She wore absolutely nothing, except for five golden cuffs. One fastened on each wrist, one on each ankle, and finally a loose, golden Egyptian collar around her neck and collarbones, all real metal. She felt each of them quiver as his mind touched them, felt his self control loosen at the sight of her, struggling to touch the cuffs gently but slipping under his wild desire. He was still, so very still. Though she presented herself to him at his mercy, she felt stronger than she'd ever been in her life.

She walked slowly to him as he continued to stare. He took in all of her; didn't focus on her breasts like most boys would do. His eyes caressed her hair, her shoulders, her face, her entire body, and she loved it.

When she was right in front of him, she just stopped. He stared into her eyes, breath harsh. Her cuffs trembled more intensely, but she wasn't afraid of him. Her hands reached up and touched his face gently, and she could feel how tense he was. His eyes closed once, enjoying the smooth touch of her hands, but when he opened them they were the cool grey eyes of a predator. Sabine smiled at him, and at once he was on her.

Every thought of leaving abandoned her. She felt completely and utterly right, exactly where she was meant to be. She had crossed the point of no return, and she was happier than she had imagined possible that she hadn't decided to stay in her room. Professor Xavier, Professor Munroe, the school, her stupid powers, none of it mattered here.

He explored her thoroughly with his mouth; his tongue intertwined deeply with hers, he kissed and sucked at her jaw, her shoulders, groaning into her hair as she bit tentatively into the side of his neck. His hands pressed against her back, forcing her body tight against his, running down to squeeze her bare ass in delight. Her hands literally moved against her will. Her cuffs pulled her hands to his hair, his sides, pressed them against his back until she gouged her nails through his skin and he growled with pleasure. It was as though he didn't even know what to do with her like this.

He hooked his hands under her bottom and hoisted her up, carrying her to his bed; she could feel his erection pressed against her, and it was already more exciting than anything she'd ever done with Kurt. But instead of throwing her down like she'd expected, he laid her gently on his bed and leaned over her, still standing. He kissed her slowly as he unzipped his pants. She wiggled in pure ecstasy, drunk off of her own power over him. But as he pulled off his black slacks, she felt the tugging of her other cuffs. Her legs slowly spread, though she gasped and blushed horribly and tried to close them. Indignant, she met his intense but teasing stare.

"What did you expect?" he asked her huskily. He climbed into the bed with her, using the cuffs at her wrist to pull her towards the head of his bed. He settled between her legs, now spread enough to offer him quite a view, despite her knees being cocked inwards. She tried to move her hands down to hide herself, but the cuffs held above her head. Blushing, she closed her eyes. If she pretended he wasn't there, then-

A low moan escaped her throat as she felt a long, firm finger push into her. She couldn't believe how aroused she already was; this was already better than all the sex she'd ever had (unimpressive though the number was). He pumped it slowly, listening to her shuddering breaths and quiet mewls. Her legs fought her cuffs, her arms fought, her whole body writhed, but there was no escaping him. He continued the same rhythm slowly and steadily. When she opened her eyes, he was staring straight up to her, his eyes greedily fastened to her face. She felt no embarrassment now, only a growing hunger that she hardly recognized.

She felt beautiful.

It wasn't enough, and as she realized that, so did he. She watched him lower his head and begin sucking gently. She had about one second to be glad that she had remembered to shave before he flicked his tongue and she let out a high-pitched squeal. Biting her lips, she struggled to quiet herself as his eyes shot her a warning glance, though his mouth didn't stop. The room wasn't exactly soundproof. She let out muffled squeaks as he continued, two fingers now working inside of her while his mouth brought her to heated spirals upward.

She shuddered and squirmed as she felt herself brought higher and higher, again and again to a place she'd only ever been by herself. Closer and closer she floated, her pleasure keeping time with Erik's speed.

He quickened his pace, and the closer she got to orgasm the more difficult it was to stay silent. She thrashed against her bonds, unable to escape the mind-bending stimulation. He was working her full speed now, his fingers pumping hard and fast into her and his mouth dragging her upwards, higher than she'd ever been before alone. He didn't look at her, too focused on his own task. She felt herself tipping over the edge, felt him release her hands from above her head and drag them to her mouth.

She couldn't tell if she was screaming; her body racked itself with incredible tremors, she realized her feet had been freed too as she locked them around his neck. Her back arched, and white-hot pleasure gushed like a waterfall up and down her entire body, swirling too intensely between her legs. She might have even blacked out for a few seconds. Slowly, deliciously, the sensation ebbed away and she came back to earth.

For a few minutes she floated gently on the waves of the receding pleasure. Sighing and shaking, she felt her body melt into contented satisfaction, the warm blanket of sexual bliss. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked down at Erik, who was staring up at her from between her legs. His expression was a combination of aroused and impressed, each fighting for superiority. She would have blushed if she wasn't already pink all over.

"We're not done yet, if that's what you were thinking," he said slowly. Sabine laughed wearily. "I think you owe me a few more of those for all those flirty little looks you keep sending my way."

"I don't think I can handle any more of those," she whimpered, sweat gleaming over her body. Erik crawled over her, hooking a finger into his black boxer briefs and pulling the tight material down. Sabine chewed her lip, embarrassed, and returned her gaze to Erik's. He smiled and kissed her again. Hands free, she ran her fingers along his sides, luxuriating in the feel of his lean muscles against her hands. He rested on top of her, his weight pushing her into the deep cushion of his bed. With plush pillows under her head and a thick blanket tangled around them, she felt warm and comfortable.

Slowly, he thrust into her. It didn't take much for him to sink entirely in; she was very well lubricated thanks to him. The feeling was exquisite, and she shivered in pleasure. Her hands stroked his back as he held perfectly still, breathing deeply. Sabine couldn't tear her eyes from his face; eyes closed, expression one of rapture, he looked more relaxed than she'd ever seen him. No calculating glances, no furrowed brows, no lines of anger or pain. Just bliss. She could have stared up at him all night.

But, filled to the hilt, Sabine was ready for more. She nudged her hips forward, sighing as she forced another half inch. She felt his stomach flex against hers, saw his cool grey eyes open. He rocked back and then forward again in one quick motion, drawing a sighing gasp from her. He waited for a heartbeat, then repeated the motion. Leaning forward on his forearms, he nestled his face into the crook of her neck and, she could really only describe it in one way, purred. A rumbling growl that rose from deep in his chest and ended somewhere in his throat, it was the sexiest sound she'd ever heard.

Erik maintained a steady and constant pace, never wavering. Again and again he withdrew and burrowed deep into her, and little sprouts of warmth encompassed her core. She bucked beneath him, wanting more, but he didn't give it to her. He just continued the same maddeningly steady pace.

"Heaven," he sighed, smiling down at her frustrated expression. Raising his eyebrows at her scowl, he suddenly thrust deeply and held it there. She groaned under the pressure of him, the stalled sensation. She tried to wiggle, but he had dropped his weight on her and she could hardly move. He glared at her now, a smile gleaming in his eyes. "_I said heaven_!"

"Yes, yes, _heaven_," she half-grumbled, half-groaned. "For god's sake, stop stopping!" She would have thrashed if she could move. The best she could do was a muffled kick into nothing. He started laughing, and she couldn't help laughing too. Wasn't sex supposed to be serious? She remembered accidentally bursting into laughter with Kurt once when he slipped on his way to the bed and he was so miffed that he left and didn't call her until the next day. There was something wonderful, though, about laughing with Erik. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he kissed her gently.

Sitting back, she felt him lift her legs with the cuffs and lean them against his shoulders. He leaned forward, and the new angle was just what she needed. He started back at the same slow pace until he caught her glower and burst into laughter, then began to pick up speed. Sabine's breath came in raspy bursts as he stoked the fire between her legs. Goosebumps rose in waves across her skin.

He was a gorgeous specimen of man. Everything about him was just so arousing; his powerful arms, rippling with muscles and veins as he leaned forward onto them, the way the hard plane of his stomach rolled his hips into hers, the bulge of bunched muscles in his shoulders. Her hands skittered across them, feeling the steely strength beneath silky skin. Even the thin, dark trail of hair leading from his chest to his naval to his groin was remarkably sexy. Her elegant and sophisticated Erik looked so wild, so ferocious, beneath his classy veneer.

With a sexy half-grin, he swiped his tongue across his thumb and began rubbing it against her. She shuddered and moaned, pushed back against him. Fireworks burst behind her closed eyelids, the same but not quite the same as before. She reveled in the incredible sensation, wishing it would never stop. It seemed to go on forever. The intimacy, the closeness of this man, was too much for her. She felt herself offering more and more. He leaned his head down and sucked at her breast; the sharp sting of it nearly brought her over the edge by itself. But he was relentless, now pounding full force into her, his fingers working quickly and his mouth alternating between her creamy, smooth breasts. It was a sensory overload; Sabine was almost in tears from over-stimulation.

But suddenly he backed off the bed, her ankle cuffs yanked her swiftly and almost painfully to the edge of the bed, and he was standing over her, her legs still on his shoulders. With the bed as leverage, he now held nothing back; the smack of his thighs against her bottom was borderline painful. Each pump actually knocked the breath out of her, and the ripple that moved up her body from his powerful thrusts drove her forcefully to the edge. Both of her hands covered her mouth, smothering her own cries. His breath was heavy, and she could feel from the growing speed and ferocity of his motion that they were both nearing climax.

Sweat dripped from his forehead, and his teeth were bared in a vicious snarl. She began to quake, and when he felt her tremors he completely lost it. His thrusts became irregular, but each bottoming out against her. The forcefulness of them pushed her all the way, and again she felt that burning climax roll over her body, even more intense than the one before. She bucked hard against him, her hands barely stifling the guttural sounds forcing themselves past her lips. But he was even louder than she; he buried his face in her neck, but his body was one solid muscle flexing again and again against hers. His arms trembled on the bed beside her, his whole body trembled. She ran her hands, exhausted, down his back over and over as his breathing slowed and deepened.

They lay quietly like that for a long time, Sabine on her back and Erik relaxed against her, legs weak. She felt him slowly soften and slide out, leaving her sore and aching; it had been a long time since she and Kurt had broken up. The night air cooled the sweat from their skin, chilled even. After a while Sabine began to shiver, even under Erik. Feeling her shiver, he finally pushed himself up and tucked her under the blankets. Touched, and more than a little sleepy, Sabine felt her eyes begin to close.

'_Please_,' her mind whispered as he left for the bathroom, '_please don't leave me. Please stay with me. Don't abandon me like my friends, my aunt, my brothers...my father. Please don't leave me_.' Grief wracked her as she begged him to stay. '_I need you...I need you to want me_.' Ashamed and feeling utterly defenseless, she fell asleep before she could make sure that he came back.

* * *

><p>Sabine woke suddenly, her heart leaping into her throat. It was still dark, but the smell of the room was entirely wrong. Where was she? She began to sit up, but a heavy arm slung across her stopped her. She lay still, heart pounding, as memories of the night before began to seep back. She began to blush, remembering how she had come to him in the night, how she had presented herself naked to him.<p>

But more overpowering was the time he spent worshiping her body. The way he looked at her was incredible, unbelievable. Sabine knew she was pretty, had seen her own face, smooth and oval and even, but had never considered herself gorgeous like her friends. Her body wasn't lusciously curvaceous or supermodel-thin. She was too quiet for most boys to notice, nothing special. But last night...Erik had made her feel like the most desirable woman alive.

Sabine's warm smile suddenly felt cold. Everything had changed between them. Nothing would ever be the same again...it couldn't, not after last night. He would never take her seriously; she had lost that position of power, the alienation between the two of them that gave her sufficient threat. He knew, now, that she could never change him back. Was that his plan all along?

A gentle snore startled her out of her downward spiral into reality. Her body slowly oriented itself; Erik's chest was against her back, his body flush to hers. One arm was tucked under her head, and the other was resting across her waist. His breath moved warmly through her hair, tickling her ear just a little. The pleasure of waking up like this was something foreign and wonderful to her, and she savored the heat coming off of his body. The birds weren't even awake yet; her eyes began to close again sleepily.

Until something interrupted her sleep.

A twitch against her bare ass, a slow and lazy hardening, and she was suddenly wide awake. Turning slightly, she saw that he was still dead asleep, his mouth slightly open and his brow smooth, not furrowed and intense like usual. He breathed deeply and naturally, and after a few seconds she was quite sure that he wasn't faking it. Regardless, his cock moved of its own accord, waking up even before Erik. The smooth skin of it, the heat flooding his groin, was too much for her. The hard reminder of the night before had her painfully aroused within seconds, and she couldn't help pushing back against it, desiring more of that particular memory.

She felt smug satisfaction at the immediate response, a hot throb against her and a swift lengthening. Erik stirred slightly, but didn't wake. Too impatient to wait but feeling guilty about waking him, she felt a very mischievous idea drift into her mind. It was very very sneaky...Kitty had told her about doing it once, and she knew that a lot of girls did it...but as her experience with boys was rather limited, she couldn't help being self-conscious. But...the idea of it seemed simple...and he _was_ still asleep, so there couldn't be any harm in trying, right? With a sly glance at his slack jaw, she bit her lips and wiggled under the blanket.

She felt more silly as she tried to move without shifting the bed or the blanket too much, but Erik seemed to be a very deep sleeper. She managed to get level with his hips as he turned onto his back, lacking support since his little spoon left. Sabine held her breath, but he seemed to still be asleep. She waited for an agonizing about of time, but his breath remained slow and steady. Finally she rested a hand on his hip, elbow between his slightly spread thighs.

The blanket was pushed aside from where she'd been, so while it still covered Erik, it left her a decent amount of faint light from the rising sun. She felt even sillier, halfway out of the blanket and face to face with the larger of the two erect penises she'd ever seen. Significantly larger. She took a deep breath, probably more nervous than she should be.

"Hello," she murmured quietly, almost imperceptibly. "We should probably make friends..." She waited another few seconds, then leaned forward and gave the tip a quick lick. She grimaced from the bitter taste, but didn't back down. She remembered how much time he had spent on her, the contented look in his eyes as he had lavished over her with his mouth...the satisfaction and arousal she had seen him take in pleasuring her. She took the soft head in her mouth and sucked gently, and the result was a noticeable hardening. The immediate reaction was all the encouragement she needed, and she began gently bobbing up and down.

It was very calming, the onset of early morning, the warmth of a shared bed, and the slow, sensual enjoyment of pleasuring her lover. _Lover_. She was too warm; kicking the blanket off of her back, she continued. It was much more fun than she'd thought; she slurped quietly, alternating between seeing how deep she could go and swirling her tongue around the smooth tip. The occasional droplets that leaked from the tip the used to help lubricate the whole thing; it glistened wetly, like it had the night before.

Humming to herself, she wrapped one hand around the base.

"Ohhhhh..." a low moan from above her. Squeaking, Sabine jumped up. Erik was gazing at her sleepily, his mouth unable to hide a smug smile. She huffed, trying not to blush as hard as she was.

"How long have you been awake?!" she demanded, probably angrier than she should be. But she couldn't help wondering. And likely for a good reason. Erik shrugged guiltily, still unable to quite stop smiling.

"Well, I'm actually a very light sleeper, so..." he trailed off, gesturing helplessly. She gaped at him. He'd been pretending? Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and he seemed to quail before her. The light glared into her eyes and she squinted painfully. It didn't help her mood.

"So?" she demanded ominously. He shrugged and squirmed, but she didn't let up.

"I, uh, I didn't know you were the penis-whisperer," he chuckled, finally cracking. Sabine screamed in rage as he collapsed into laughter. She grabbed a pillow and just started beating him with it. He howled, mostly unaffected by her ferocious assault, holding his sides and curling into a ball. The light shined in her eyes again, and she growled.

"What is with-oh...oh no...what time is it?!" she burst, leaping from the bed. She ran into the small kitchen and burst into panicked gasps. "_Nine_! It's almost nine! I have a test in fifteen minutes!" She made a dash for the door, but was intercepted on the way in a flying grab. On the floor and disoriented, she felt Erik's hand press between her shoulder blades, pinning her face-down to the carpet. Her face burned when she felt him rubbing himself between her smooth cheeks. "Erik, I don't have time for this," she ground out furiously, struggling to get up but unsuccessful. He drew farther back and began thrusting into her.

"Just enough time for a quickie," he smiled, skipping the slow ravishment and going straight to hammering. Sabine would have been indignant, but it felt just too good for her to complain. She moaned helplessly into the thick carpet, her fingers twisting into the rough threads. "You started it, gorgeous."

The warmth spread through her body again, but it was dampened with her anxiety over the time. Erik's fingers pressing hard into her back made her dizzy in more than one way; she slipped in and out of focus, caring only that he never stopped.

But a quickie is a quickie, and true to his word he finished after several minutes. Not enough time for her to accompany him on the climax, but warm and enjoyable enough to give her a sweet morning shine. Erik rose and grabbed a folded shirt from his dresser, just a plain T-shirt. She threw it over her head and it fell to mid-thigh. Not enough to go to class in, no, but when she tied her robe over it she definitely looked like she just finished breakfast in the dining hall and was on her way back upstairs to dress. Almost. Gasping, she unclasped the cuffs from her wrists, neck, and ankles. Erik sighed as she dropped them on the ground and dashed to the door.

"Too bad," he said, levitating them from the floor to his desk and setting them down gently. "I really liked those..." He looked up to catch one last glimpse of her hair flipping as she ran out the door, not even shutting it behind her. He pushed the door closed by the brass knob, too.

He stood there for a while, naked and warm in the early light. Birds were singing full force outside of his window. He turned and wondered if he should start making coffee; his first language class wasn't until ten-thirty.

"She's more unpredictable than I thought..." he mused aloud, remembering how many ways she had surprised him the night before. He actually hadn't expected her to come to him this early in the plan, let alone decked out the way she was. '_Maybe we're farther along than I realized_.'

* * *

><p>"Honey, you are positively <em>glowing<em>," accused Marie as they walked out of the classroom. The test had been brutal, and Sabine wasn't so sure about her grade anymore, but she found even that hard to kill her mood with. She felt so relaxed, so good! But she struggled to hide that from Marie, and shot her a mournful look.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she insisted, wishing that she had had time to brush her hair before running to class. Marie hadn't missed that; Sabine's hair was tousled exactly like it had been when she got out of bed. "I...I overslept, I'm probably just pink from having to sprint down here." Marie narrowed her eyes at Sabine.

"No way, I can recognize a good romp when I see one. You're sleeping with somebody!" she burst in an excited, hushed whisper. Sabine tried to slow her panicked heartbeat, but it proved impossible. She could hardly even speak, she was so afraid. "You dog, you," teased Marie. "Who is it? Somebody from this school, right?" Sabine swallowed a few times, her throat too dry to make words. She silently shook her head, eyes wide. "No? Really? How did you meet somebody from outside of the school? More importantly, how did you sneak him in?!"

Sabine choked, the terror actually closing her throat, but Marie seemed to have mistaken it as a laugh. She laughed too. "Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of! People get snuck in here all the time. Especially local kids. But who is it?"

"Old...old friend," she croaked, grinning crookedly. Well, technically it was true...

"Oh, the one from the _park_?" Marie wiggled her eyebrows at Sabine. "I remember him. I didn't know you still saw each other!"

"Um, Professor Munroe really lightened up on me," lied Sabine uncomfortably. She couldn't tell Marie that her new interest _taught_ here, it was much too obvious. She was already getting crap for being Professor Lehnsherr's favorite in his French course, mostly from shallow female classmates envious of the extra attention he occasionally gave her. But, whenever he purred in that adorable accent, it was almost too much for her too; she melted right alongside the shallowest of them. Regardless, she despised lying. It was the ultimate sign of distrust in a friendship, she thought, and she immediately felt guilty when Marie ate it up.

"That's good. I mean, innocent until proven guilty, right? It's not like you've done anything, so why should she punish you?" Marie chattered on, oblivious to Sabine's discomfort. Sabine cringed, wishing she could tell Marie everything, but she knew that there was no way Marie would keep her secret. Her encounters with Magneto as a terrorist simply lay too close to Marie's heart. She would be outraged, and everything would be ruined.

"Yeah," she murmured miserably. Marie changed the subject into a new song that she'd heard on the radio, and Sabine smiled and nodded at all the right places. But she felt so distant from her friends, who were all so happy not knowing a thing.

Suddenly she couldn't bear to be around Marie, so innocent of her friend's ugly secret. She pretended that she had left her wallet in her room, and told Marie that she'd meet them at the restaurant for brunch. Marie nodded and ran to meet up with Ashley. The two of them continued on the sidewalk out of the grounds.

Sabine curled up on her bed upstairs, wishing Professor Xavier was there to tell her what to do. She _had_ to change Erik back! He was much too close to her now. He didn't leave and lead a new life as she had hoped and expected, as she had seen happen so many times. He had followed her, had stalked and seduced her, and he was so much more dangerous than she had anticipated. Trembling, she wondered if Professor Xavier would be angry if she used her powers to bring him back...even though he had asked her to never do that. She needed him...

Somebody knocked softly at her door, and Sabine wanted to scream. If Erik walked in right now, she didn't know what she would do.

"Sabine?" came a soft voice; it was Logan. She sniffed and didn't answer, instead wrapping her arms around her knees in a tight ball. He opened her door and closed it behind him. She didn't move, wishing he would go away. She couldn't hold this awful secret inside for long. "You didn't go out with the other students."

"Oh, you're still tracking me?" she growled, the hostility in her voice surprising both of them. Taken aback, Logan was quiet for a few minutes. He didn't touch her, for which she was glad. Her entire body felt wired. "I'm sorry." She hated herself for feeling bad for him. Why couldn't she just be angry at somebody? _Anybody_? He sat down beside her on the bed, to her dismay.

"It's okay," he said gruffly, a hand hovering over her back. He decided against it though, and lowered it back to his lap. Clearly he was uncomfortable here. "I probably deserved that anyways." Sabine tried to stem the hot tears slowly leaking through her defenses. Professor Xavier and Professor Munroe had acted like she was some horrible danger, but then why did she feel so weak all the time? "Is, uh, is something wrong?"

"No," she sniffed sullenly. He didn't leave, though probably not because he wanted to stay there. Like Professor Munroe, he was clearly concerned with the effect of her unstable emotions on her power. Slowly she sat up, her long hair falling in silky strands around her shoulders. She focused her red-rimmed eyes on Logan, her nose still dripping a little. "Are you afraid of me too?" He smiled for the first time she'd ever seen.

"Why would I be afraid of you?" he asked her, the lines in his face deep and troubled.

"Because I could kill you," she whispered, eyes watering. "Because I can live forever." There was the root of it. Immortality. Her classmates could never know, or she would always be treated with fear and distance. Her easy control over life was what made her something altogether different from them. But Logan chuckled darkly.

"I could say the same thing to you," he laughed, his eyes at once understanding and sad. "You have a hard life ahead of you. But at least you can let yourself die at the end of it." Sabine stared at him, realization dawning. She had known that Logan had healing powers, it had just never occurred to her that he couldn't die. He was very quiet, very secretive, and not many knew about his rough past. Not even Marie would talk about it, what with it being Logan's private matters. Sabine felt her stormy mind quiet, and her lips quivered as she flung her arms around Logan's thick neck.

He sat stiffly, not returning the hug, but when he realized that she wasn't going to try anything he forced himself to relax and tuck his arms around her. She shook with relief. Here was somebody who didn't fear her, who knew everything about her and still wasn't afraid.

"I have something to tell you," she whispered against his shoulder.

* * *

><p>Erik sat in the empty classroom, sipping at his strong black coffee. This was always the hardest, but the most worthwhile, aspect of building an army. He needed Sabine, like he needed Raven and had needed Sabertooth and Toad and Azazel. This was exactly where he needed to be, at the very center of Xavier's precious school. The government might not have realized the potential that lay here, nor did Charles, but he would not let this school go to waste at the hands of somebody like Ororo Munroe.<p>

'Only a few months,' he told himself. 'Just stick to the same plan, and everything will be going exactly how you want it.'

He checked his calendar; Raven would be coming within the next few days probably. He already had a room set up for her. Somebody knocked at his classroom door, and he beckoned them in. It was Ms. Padge, Ororo's assistant. She held a letter in her hand, and her expression was something unpleasant that Erik could not quite recognize. It was enough to put him on edge, though.

"This is from Professor Munroe," she said sourly, dropping it on his desk. Erik's eyebrows raised as he opened the letter. Ms. Padge didn't wait for a reply, but quickly turned heel and left the room. He read it silently, his brow furrowing. When he finished he sat still for a few minutes and contemplated. Finally, he pulled out his cell phone and punched in a few digits.

"Change of plan, 'cousin'," he murmured into the phone. "Looks like you're showing up _tonight_."

* * *

><p>So I've gotten like a TON of messages on how much everybody loves Sabine, and seriously I cannot tell you guys how happy that makes me! I know how dangerous it is to make an OC, they almost always turn out to be Mary-Sues, so I developed this character very carefully. It was hard because she's literally nothing like me, but I feel like that's what makes her genuine; she does unexpected stuff pretty regularly that's still within character. She even surprises me!<p>

So thanks for the many wonderful reviews, I'll keep the updates coming! :)


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